Tuesday, April 05, 2011
Newport Beach, Calif. – The Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons has granted its Outstanding Achievement Award to Hoag Family Cancer Institute as a result of surveys performed during 2010. Hoag is one of a select group of 90 currently accredited and newly accredited cancer programs across the United States. It is one of four California hospitals and the only hospital in Orange County with this accreditation.
Established in 2004, the CoC Outstanding Achievement Award (OAA) is designed to recognize cancer programs that strive for excellence in providing quality care to cancer patients. The award is granted to facilities that demonstrate a Commendation level of compliance with seven standards that represent six areas of cancer program activity: cancer committee leadership, cancer data management, clinical management, research, community outreach, and quality improvement.
The level of compliance with the seven standards is determined during an on-site evaluation by a physician surveyor. In addition, facilities must receive a compliance rating for the remaining 29 cancer program standards. Ninety programs, including Hoag Family Cancer Institute, received the OAA as a result of surveys performed in 2010. This number represents approximately 17 percent of programs surveyed during this period. A majority of recipients are community-based facilities; however, teaching hospitals, NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, Pediatric, and Network Cancer Programs also received the award.
“This national recognition is a testament to the dedication and expertise of Hoag Family Cancer Institute’s multidisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, clinicians and staff who provide excellence in cancer care for our patients,” states Robert O. Dillman, executive and scientific director of Hoag Family Cancer Institute. “As one of four California hospitals and the only hospital in Orange County with this accreditation, Hoag remains committed to providing progressive, patient-centered cancer care to our community and beyond.”
Receiving care at a Commission on Cancer-approved cancer program ensures that a patient will have access to:
comprehensive care, including a range of state-of-the-art services and equipment
a multispecialty team dedicated to coordinating the best treatment options
information about ongoing clinical trials and new treatment options
access to cancer-related information, education, and support
a cancer registry that collects data on type and stage of cancers and treatment results and offers lifelong patient follow-up
ongoing monitoring and improvement of care
quality care close to home
About Commission on Cancer
Established in 1922 by the American College of Surgeons, the Commission on Cancer is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival and quality of life for cancer patients through standard-setting, prevention, research, education, and the monitoring of comprehensive quality care. Its membership includes Fellows of the American College of Surgeons and representatives of 47 national organizations that reflect the full spectrum of cancer care.
The CoC’s core functions include setting standards for quality, multidisciplinary cancer patient care; surveying facilities to evaluate compliance with the 36 CoC standards; collecting standardized, high-quality data from accredited facilities; and using the data to develop effective educational interventions to improve cancer care outcomes at the national, state, and local levels. There are currently more than 1,500 CoC-accredited cancer programs representing 25 percent of all hospitals in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. These CoC-accredited facilities diagnose and/or treat 71 percent of all newly diagnosed cancer patients each year. Receiving care at a CoC-accredited cancer program ensures that a patient will have access to the full quality spectrum of comprehensive cancer care close to home.
In addition, cancer patients’ data are reported by each CoC-accredited cancer program to the CoC’s National Cancer Data Base (NCDB), a joint program with the American Cancer Society (ACS). These data account for approximately two-thirds of all newly diagnosed cancer cases in the U.S. each year, and are used regularly to monitor the quality of patient care delivered in CoC-accredited cancer programs and to improve cancer care outcomes at both the national and local level.
The CoC provides the public with information on the resources, services, and cancer treatment experience for each CoC-accredited cancer program. This information is shared with the public on the Cancer Programs page of the American College of Surgeons website athttp://www.facs.org/cancer/index.html and through the American Cancer Society National Cancer Information Center at 1-800-ACS-2345. For more information about the Commission on Cancer, visitwww.facs.org/cancer/index.html.
About Hoag Family Cancer Institute
Hoag Family Cancer Institute? is accredited as a “Comprehensive Community Cancer Program” by the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons, and was designated as “Outstanding” following its most recent survey. The Institute provides a broad array of innovative cancer treatment, as well as patient-centerededucation and support programs?. As the highest volume provider of cancer care in Orange County, Hoag Family Cancer Institute manages approximately 3,300 newly diagnosed cancer patients each year, providing the latest state-of-the-art technology and treatment options. The Institute participates in a variety of clinical trials, develops patient-specific biological treatments in its cell biology laboratory, and provides a wealth of complementary care programs for patients.
