Martinsburg, W. Va. --- The West Virginia University Hospitals-East Regional Cancer Program, based at City Hospital, has been granted a three-year accreditation with commendation by the Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons (ACOS).
The program received accreditation with commendation following an on-site evaluation conducted in late September by an ACOS physician surveyor. Accreditation with commendation is awarded when a program exceeds all standards, delivering an exceptionally high level of care. In 2008, the program also received approval with commendation.
The survey standards include cancer committee leadership, cancer data management and cancer registry operations, clinical management, research, community outreach, professional education and staff support, and quality improvement. Based on the surveyor’s findings, the WVUH-East Regional Cancer Program exceeded all eight standards.
“We are dedicated to offering the best in cancer care,” stated Tim Bowers, MD, recently retired oncologist and longtime medical director of the hospital’s cancer program who continued in that role until the end of September to assist with the survey process. “The fact that our cancer program has once again been recognized at this level by the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons speaks to the quality of our comprehensive, multidisciplinary program,” he added.
The CoC program 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:
- comprehensive care offering a range of state-of-the- art services and equipment;
- a multi-specialty, team approach to coordinate the best treatment options;
- information about cancer 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
“The Cancer Committee of WVUH-East’s City Hospital is responsible for the overall organization and supervision of cancer services,” stated Bowers. “The Committee is charged with assuring that the diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients is held to high-quality standards and that the entire spectrum of ancillary and support services is available to each patient as needs dictate,” he added.
The WVUH-East Regional Cancer was initially established in 1991 at City Hospital. Current service offerings include medical oncology, radiation oncology, dedicated inpatient oncology unit and outpatient treatment center, surgery department, chemotherapy and biotherapy, vascular therapy, pathology & laboratory services, diagnostic radiology, pharmacy, social services, food & nutritional services, and cancer support groups and programs.
In 2007, the WVUH-East Regional Cancer Program was approved to begin offering clinical trials for new and innovative cancer treatments. This was a direct result of the program’s affiliation with West Virginia University and the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center in Morgantown. To date, the WVUH-East Regional Cancer Program has opened eight clinical trials giving Eastern Panhandle residents direct access to some of the newest cancer drugs and protocols.
Dr. Terrence Reidy, Dr. Timothy Bowers, Tammy Ware, RN and Pamela Moats, CTR, are shown holding the certificate from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer at a ceremony to celebrate the WVUH-East Regional Cancer Program’s three-year accreditation with commendation.