Tanner Cancer Care has joined the top cancer treatment programs in the nation with its recent accreditation from the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer (CoC).
The accreditation furthers the credibility of the patient-centered care approach pursued by Tanner Cancer Care and certifies that the program’s patients will benefit from the expertise of an entire team of cancer specialists.
“This accreditation allows Tanner Cancer Care to stand out as a truly comprehensive cancer care provider, offering diagnostic imaging, radiation oncology services, systemic therapy services, clinical trial information, psychosocial support services, rehabilitation services, nutritional services and more,” said Loy Howard, president and CEO of Tanner Health System.
To achieve the three-year Commission on Cancer accreditation, Tanner Cancer Care had to meet or exceed 34 quality care standards required by the commission and demonstrate a multidisciplinary approach to treating cancer.
“Cancer is a complex group of diseases that requires collaboration between surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, diagnostic radiologists, pathologists and other cancer specialists,” said J. Richie Bland, MD, a board-certified radiation oncologist with Tanner Radiation Oncology and medical operations leader for Tanner Cancer Care. “Patients receive the best care when everyone is working together, with the latest research available.”
The Commission on Cancer’s accreditation program provides the framework for treatment providers like Tanner Cancer Care to improve patient care through programs that focus on the full spectrum of treating cancer, including prevention, early diagnosis, cancer staging, optimal treatments, rehabilitation, life-long followup for recurrent disease and end-of-life care.
“At Tanner, patients have access to surgical specialists, oncologists, radiologists, dietitians, patient navigators, behavioral health providers and more—all working together to provide quality-focused care,” said Howard.
More than 70 percent of all newly diagnosed cancer patients are treated in one of the more than 1,500 Commission on Cancer-accredited cancer programs available nationwide. Only about 30 percent of cancer treatment facilities nationwide have earned the Commission on Cancer’s accreditation.
The accreditation also ensures that patients receiving care at accredited facilities have access to information on clinical trials and new treatments, genetic counseling and patient-centered services, like patient navigation services, survivorship care and more.
“Like all Commission on Cancer-accredited facilities, Tanner Cancer Care maintains a cancer registry and contributes data to the National Cancer Database,” said Dr. Bland. “This nationwide oncology outcomes database is the largest clinical disease registry in the world.”
Based on the database, the American College of Surgeons estimates that more than 1.6 million cases of cancer will be diagnosed this year.
To receive accreditation, Tanner Cancer Care had to demonstrate adherence to the five elements that are key to the success of a CoC-accredited cancer program: 1) the clinical services provide state-of-the-art pretreatment evaluation, staging, treatment and clinical follow-up for cancer patients seen at the facility for primary, secondary, tertiary or end-of-life care; 2) the cancer committee leads the program through setting goals, monitoring activity, evaluating patient outcomes and improving care; 3) the cancer conferences provide a forum for patient consultation and contribute to physician education; 4) the quality improvement program is the mechanism for evaluating and improving patient outcomes; and 5) the cancer registry and database is the basis for monitoring the quality of care.
“I’m extremely grateful for the hard work that everyone here put in to achieving this accreditation,” said Shellie Sherrod, director of Tanner Cancer Care. “We’ve followed up on the aspects of our program that made us stand out, and pursued them to help build one of the finest cancer treatment programs in the nation. This is a huge accomplishment for our team, and a major step in providing the best possible care for people with cancer in our region.”
Earlier this year, Tanner’s Roy Richards, Sr. Cancer Center, part of Tanner Cancer Care, was also accredited by the American College of Radiology.
Tanner Cancer Care, a service of Tanner Health System, includes the Roy Richards, Sr. Cancer Center and a broad cancer care team, including providers from Tanner Radiation Oncology, Northwest Georgia Radiation Oncology, Carrollton Surgical Group, Comprehensive Breast Care of West Georgia, Georgia West Imaging and numerous specialists from throughout Tanner’s medical staff. More information on Tanner Cancer Care is available online at www.TannerCancerCare.org.
Established in 1922 by the American College of Surgeons, the Commission on Cancer is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving patient outcomes and quality of life for cancer patients through standard-setting, prevention, research, education and the monitoring of comprehensive, quality care. More information about the Commission on Cancer is available online at www.facs.org/cancer.