BMH Cancer Program One of Few Accredited in Region
February 6, 2009 — (BUTLER, PA) — Butler Memorial Hospital's Cancer Program has become one of only seven community hospital cancer programs in western Pennsylvania that are accredited by the American College of Surgeons (ACoS) Commission on Cancer (CoC).
The hospital's program received accreditation for three years and became one of only 75 accredited Cancer Programs in the state of Pennsylvania.
"We are so grateful to have achieved this accreditation," explained Melissa Thimons, D.O., Chair, Cancer Committee. "All of us working in the delivery of cancer care at Butler Memorial Hospital have worked very hard to assure our patients of the level of care necessary to have received this accreditation."
BMH received a three year approval with commendation on several standards following an on-site evaluation by a physician surveyor. During the evaluation, the facility 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). In addition, BMH received a compliance rating for all other standards.
"With the ever-increasing incidence of cancer in our community, developing an accredited cancer program for this region was important," said Stephanie Roskovski, Vice President for Outpatient Services. "Cancer care and treatment are increasing parts of what we do."
According to BMH's Community Health Assessment, cancer has replaced heart disease as the leading cause of death in Butler County.
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 approved facilities and using the data to develop effective educational interventions to improve cancer care outcomes at the national, state and local levels.
The CoC sets quality-of-care standards for cancer programs and reviews the programs to ensure they conform to those 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 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