Mercy Health Partners Earns Commendation From The Commission On Cancer (CoC) Of The American College Of Surgeons (ACoS)

April 13, 2009 - Mercy Health Partners' (MHP) Johnson Family Center for Cancer Care has received a Three-Year Approval with Commendation following the on-site evaluation by a physician surveyor during which 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).

According to F. Remington Sprague, M.D., Mercy Health Partners' Chief Medical Officer, "This commendation signifies that Mercy Health Partners has complied with very rigid standards set by the American College of Surgeons' Commission on Cancer, including meeting high benchmarks in treatment quality, nursing care, cancer research, survival results, and rehabilitative programs and support groups that lead to a good quality of life during and after treatment."

There are currently more than 1,400 CoC-approved cancer programs in the US, 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.

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. 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 multispeciality, 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

Quality care close to home

For more information about the Johnson Family Center for Cancer Care, visit www.johnsoncancercenter.com.

For more information about the Commission on Cancer, visit www.facs.org/cancer/index.html.