CTCA receives Commission on Cancer's Outstanding Achievement Award for second consecutive time
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Only facility in Oklahoma recognized
TULSA - June 16, 2008. The Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons has recognized the cancer program at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) at Southwestern Regional Medical Center in Tulsa as a 2007 Outstanding Achievement Award (OAA) recipient. This is the second consecutive time in which CTCA has received this prestigious award which recognizes approved cancer programs that exceed the national standard in providing quality care to cancer patients.
In a letter to CTCA, CoC chair Frederick L. Greene, MD, FACS, stated, "The CoC Outstanding Achievement Award recognizes the significant commitment by the administration and personnel at your institution for providing high quality cancer care to your patients, and in meeting and exceeding the standards set by our CoC Approvals Program. Not only have you met the basic standards of our Approvals Program, but you have also excelled in seven areas where Commendation has been awarded."
CTCA was the only facility in Oklahoma to receive the 2007 OAA award. Sixty-six programs from the United States received the award, which represents 15 percent of the total cancer programs surveyed during 2007. The award is designed to recognize cancer programs that strive for excellence in providing quality care to cancer patients. For all program categories, the following areas must meet the Commendation levels: outcomes analysis, quality of National Cancer Database data, American Joint Committee on Cancer staging by the managing physician, national patient care guidelines compliance, clinical trial accrual, prevention and early detection programs, cancer registry staff education, cancer care related improvements, as well as earning a compliance rating for the remaining 28 standards.
CTCA senior vice president for Clinical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer Edgar D. Staren, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., said, "We are pleased and proud to be recognized in this manner by the Commission on Cancer as it appropriately acknowledges the high quality health care professionals and clinical services we provide for our patients at CTCA so that we might deliver on our promise to provide the Mother Standard® of care and thereby be the center for healing and hope."
"We are thrilled to receive the Outstanding Achievement Award for the second consecutive time," said Tulsa’s CTCA president and CEO Steve Mackin. "It is a reflection of the remarkable service and dedication our highly trained staff give to our patients every single day. CTCA promises to deliver the latest medical treatment options to fight cancer with a full array of complementary therapies to diminish side effects and improve quality of life. It’s an honor to be recognized for going above and beyond the national standard of comprehensive cancer care."
Established by the American College of Surgeons in 1922, the CoC sets standards for quality multi-disciplinary cancer care delivered primarily in hospital settings and surveys hospitals to assess compliance with those standards. In addition, the CoC collects standardized and quality data from approved hospitals to measure treatment patterns and outcomes and uses the data to evaluate hospital provider performance and develop effective educational interventions to improve cancer care outcomes at the national and local level
There are currently 1,400 Commission on Cancer approved cancer programs in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, representing close to 25 percent of all hospitals. The CoC Approvals Program encourages hospitals, treatment centers, and other facilities to improve their quality of patient care through various cancer-related programs. These programs are concerned with all aspects of cancer care including pretreatment evaluation, staging, optimal treatment, rehabilitation, surveillance for recurrent disease and multiple primary tumors, psychosocial support, and care at the end of life. This availability of a full range of medical services involved at approved cancer programs has resulted in approximately 80 percent of all newly diagnosed cancer patients being treated in Commission on Cancer approved cancer programs.
Cancer Treatment Centers of America is Oklahoma’s only major hospital totally focused on cancer. The hospital embraces an integrative approach to cancer care, combining traditional treatment options with complementary therapies under one roof.
About Cancer Treatment Centers of America
Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) is a national network of hospitals providing a comprehensive, fully integrative approach to cancer treatment. CTCA serves patients with advanced cancer from all 50 states at facilities located in suburban Chicago, Philadelphia, Tulsa and suburban Phoenix. For more information about Cancer Treatment Centers of America, go to cancercenter.com.
