Doctors Hospital Cancer Program receives
cancer treatment program certification

 

 

The Doctors Hospital Regional Cancer Treatment Center has been named a certified cancer treatment program with the recent approval of its cancer program by the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons.
Established by the American College of Surgeons in 1932, the Approvals Program sets standards for and reviews cancer programs to insure they conform to those standards. Recognizing that cancer is a complex group of diseases, the program promotes consultation among surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, diagnostic radiologists, pathologists, and other cancer specialists.
"Doctors Hospital is honored to be recognized by the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons," said Abraham Martinez, Doctors Hospital CEO. "This recognition signifies our commitment in providing the most comprehensive and convenient treatment programs for patients and their families in Laredo. This commitment exemplifies the hard work and dedication of employees and physicians to provide high quality cancer care close to home, eliminating the need to travel out of town."
Patients receiving care at a Commission on Cancer-approved cancer program have access to:
o Quality care close to home.
o Comprehensive care offering a range of state of the art services and equipment.
o A multispecialty team approach to coordinate the best treatment options available to cancer patients.
o Information about cancer clinical trials, education, and support.
o Lifelong patient follow-up through a cancer registry that collects data on type and stage of cancers and treatment results.
o Ongoing monitoring and improvement of care.
Approval by the Commission on Cancer is given only to those facilities that have voluntarily committed to provide the best in diagnosis and treatment of cancer and to undergo a rigorous evaluation process and a review of its performance.
Facilities with approved cancer programs must undergo an on-site review every three years to maintain approval.
"This important news came at a perfect time as we are now preparing for the grand opening of the new Doctors Regional Cancer Treatment Center," said Joy Harewood, RN, cancer services coordinator. "We are all excited about this accreditation for which we have worked so hard the last five years. We want to emphasize that without patient confidence in us, and without the support of physicians, administration, and staff, this would not have been possible."
The American Cancer Society estimates that approximately 1,284,900 cases of cancer will be diagnosed in 2002. Slightly more than one-fifth of the country's hospitals have approved cancer programs, and more than 80 percent of patients who are newly diagnosed with cancer are treated in these facilities.

"This certification is proof of our commitment to excellence," said Dr. Eduardo Miranda, medical oncologist. "This is great news for the team of professionals dedicated to improving the care of cancer patients in Laredo and the surrounding areas."
"We want to thank the Cancer Committee members, Dr. Eduardo Miranda and his staff, the Radiation Therapy Department staff, Judy Maynard, Cancer Registrar, and Joy Harewood, for their time and relentless effort in this endeavor," said Dr. Manuel Jovel, radiation oncologist. "This new accreditation says to the community, to patients with cancer, and to their families, that we have attained and will strive to maintain an excellent standard of care at Doctors Hospital of Laredo."
The Commission on Cancer is composed of Fellows of the American College of Surgeons and other members representing 36 national cancer-related organizations. Postgraduate courses, symposia, and programs about cancer are developed by the Commission for health care professionals involved in cancer care.
Working with the American Cancer Society, the Cancer Liaison Program of the Commission on Cancer is supported by more than 1,500 voluntary Liaison Physicians who support cancer-control initiatives and the cancer program activities locally. The Commission also tracks national, regional, and local cancer care patterns and trends through the National Cancer Database, another joint project with the American Cancer Society. In addition, the Commission sets standards for cancer registry data collection used by all approved cancer programs and conducts national quality management and improvement studies for specific cancer sites. Results of these studies are used by cancer program leadership to monitor and improve patient care.