Center for Cancer Care at Griffin Hospital Accredited by the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons

Derby, CT - The Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons (ACoS) has granted Three-Year Accreditation with Commendation to the cancer program at Griffin Hospital.

The Center for Cancer Care at Griffin Hospital received the Three-Year Accreditation with Commendation following an on-site evaluation by a physician surveyor, during which the Center demonstrated a Commendation level of compliance with one or more standards that represent the full scope of its cancer program (cancer committee leadership, cancer data management, clinical services, research, community outreach, and quality improvement).

“We are very pleased to receive this CoC Accreditation with Commendation, which recognizes the comprehensive model of care we have put in place at the Center for Cancer Care at Griffin Hospital,” said Marge Deegan, Vice President for Ambulatory Services.  “The Center recently celebrated its first year of service to the community, and this CoC accreditation is a fitting tribute to the hard work of everyone involved in building our cancer program,” she said.  “Together, we are able to offer our patients a comprehensive, personalized cancer program in a comforting, healing environment that is inspired by Planetree, the leader in the patient-centered care movement.”

Established in 1922 by the American College of Surgeons, the CoC is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival rates 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 42 national organizations that reflect the full spectrum of cancer care.  The core functions of the CoC include setting standards for quality, multidisciplinary cancer patient care; surveying facilities to evaluate compliance with the 36 CoC standards; collecting standardized and 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 level.

The Accreditation Program, a component of the CoC, sets quality-of-care standards for cancer programs and reviews the programs to ensure they conform to those standards.  Accreditation by the CoC is given only to those facilities that have voluntarily committed to providing the highest level of quality cancer care and that undergo a rigorous evaluation process and review of their performance.  To maintain accreditation, facilities with CoC-accredited cancer programs must undergo an on-site review every three years.

About the Center for Cancer Care at Griffin Hospital

Opened in October, 2008, Griffin Hospital’s Center for Cancer Care provides care that’s comprehensive, comforting, and close to home.  The Center provides access to Radiation Oncology, Medical Oncology, Surgical Oncology, and a range of affiliated physicians under the same roof in a Planetree-inspired healing environment.  Support services include a Patient Care Navigator, dietary/nutritional consultations, social work services, pastoral care, education and support groups, and a variety of non-traditional therapies offered through the Integrative Medicine Center.

About the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons

There are currently more than 1,400 CoC-accredited cancer programs in the US and Puerto Rico, representing close to 25 percent of all hospitals.  These accredited hospitals diagnosed and/or treated 80 percent of the estimated 1.4 million newly diagnosed cancer patients last year.  In addition, a national network of more than 1,600 volunteer Cancer Liaison Physicians provides leadership and support for the CoC Accreditation Program and other CoC activities at these local facilities.

Receiving care at a CoC-accredited cancer programs ensures that a patient will have access to:

• Comprehensive care, including a range of state-of-the-art services and equipment;
  
• A multispecialty, team approach to coordinate 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, and most importantly;
  
• Quality care close to home.

Cancer patient data are reported by each CoC-accredited cancer program to the CoC’s National Cancer Data Base (NCDB), a joint CoC/American Cancer Society program.  The NCDB currently contains patient demographics, tumor characteristics, and treatment and outcomes information for more than 18 million cancer patients diagnosed and treated at hospital cancer programs in the US between 1985 and 2004.  These data account for approximately two-thirds of newly diagnosed cancer cases in the US each year.

NCDB data is regularly used to monitor and improve the quality of patient care delivered in CoC-accredited cancer programs.  The CoC requires programs to implement quality improvement initiatives that promote the delivery of quality, multidisciplinary cancer care and lead to ongoing educational interventions with local providers in the CoC-accredited cancer programs.

Through an exclusive partnership with the American Cancer Society, 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 American Cancer Society’s website at www.cancer.org and through its National Cancer Information Center at 1-800-ACS-2345.

For more information about the Commission on Cancer, visit www.facs.org/cancer/index.html.

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