Mercy Health Partners Cancer Program Approved by the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons

January 20, 2006 –The Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons (ACoS) has granted Three-Year Approval with Commendation to the cancer program at Mercy Health Partners.

MHP received a Three-Year Approval with Commendation following an on-site evaluation by a physician surveyor, during which MHP demonstrated a Commendation level of compliance with one or more standards that represent the full scope of the cancer program (cancer committee leadership, cancer data management, clinical services, research, community outreach, and quality improvement). This level of approval with commendation is achieved by only 56% of facilities surveyed by the CoC. In addition MHP received a compliance rating for all other standards.

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 40 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 approved facilities; and using the data to develop effective educational intervention to improve cancer care outcomes at the national, state, and local level.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimated that more than 1.3 million cases of cancer were diagnosed in 2005. There are currently more that 1,400 CoC-approved cancer programs in the US and Puerto Rico, representing close to 25 percent of all hospitals. This 25 percent of hospitals diagnose and/or treat 80 percent of newly diagnosed cancer patients each year. In additional, a national network of more that 1,600 volunteer Cancer Liaison Physicians provides leadership and support for the CoC Approvals Program and other CoC activities at these local facilities.

The Approvals Program, a component of the CoC, sets quality-of-care standards for cancer programs and reviews the programs to ensure they meet the standards. Approval 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 approval, facilities with CoC-approved cancer programs must undergo an on-site review every three years.

Receiving care at a CoC-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 multi-specialty, 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 types and stages 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.

“We are very proud of the results of this survey”, says Peter Shireman, MD, Chairman of Cancer Committee and Cancer Liaison Physician. “The approval for our cancer program is a result of the hard work and dedication of our team. Residents of this community have come to expect the best healthcare locally and this achievement illustrates our commitment to provide quality healthcare close to home.”

Cancer patient data are reported by each CoC-approved 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 out-comes information for more than 16 million cancer patients diagnosed and treated at hospital cancer programs in the US between 1984 and 2003. This data accounts for approximately two-thirds of newly diagnosed cancer cases in the US each year.

NCDB data are regularly used to monitor and improve the quality of patient care delivered in CoC-approved 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-approved cancer programs.