The Emanuel Cancer Center has earned a three-year accreditation from the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons.
The Commission on Cancer is a consortium of medical and other professionals with a mission of improving survival and quality of life for cancer patients through standard-setting, prevention, research, education, and the monitoring of comprehensive quality care.
To be accredited by the commission, a cancer center must meet several tiers of criteria, including offering services in nutrition, diagnostic imaging psychological, and rehabilitative. To earn their accreditation, Emanuel Cancer Center met 34 quality-care standards, was evaluated through a survey process, and maintained a level of excellence in the delivery of comprehensive patient-centered care.
“For patients, this accreditation means the care and treatment they receive at Emanuel Cancer Center meets the same standards and follows the same guidelines as the other accredited centers in the nation,” said Sue Micheletti, chief executive officer at Emanuel Medical Center. “That’s something the whole community can be proud of.”
The commission believes taking a multidiscipline approach to treating cancer produces better results and requires it of their accredited programs. Emanuel Cancer Center treats cancer as a complex group of diseases that requires consultation among surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, diagnostic radiologists, pathologists and other cancer specialists, explained hospital spokesperson Pennie Rorex.
The accreditation program provides a framework for Emanuel Cancer Center to continually improve its quality of patient care through programs that focus on the full spectrum of cancer care, including prevention, early diagnosis, cancer staging, optimal treatment, rehabilitation, life-long follow-up for recurrent disease and end-of-life care.
“When patients receive care Emanuel Cancer Center, they also have access to information on clinical trials and new treatments, genetic counseling, and a full array of patient-centered services,” explained Emanuel Cancer Center Executive Director Michael Iltis. “These include support groups, a cancer resource center and financial counseling among many others.”
Like all accredited facilities, Emanuel Cancer Center maintains a cancer registry and contributes data to the National Cancer Data Base, a joint program of the Commission on Cancer and American Cancer Society. This nationwide oncology-outcomes database is the largest clinical disease registry in the world, in which data on all types of cancer are tracked and analyzed to explore trends in cancer care.
