Mon General Hospital Receives Community Cancer Center Accreditation

            Monongalia General Hospital has received a Comprehensive Community Cancer Program (CCCP) accreditation from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer.  The hospital underwent an evaluation process in order to receive the three-year designation, which was awarded with a gold-level commendation. Accreditation awards are based on compliance with the 36 standards, and an award indicates those health care centers that have “established performance measures for the provision of high-quality cancer care.”

            “The Three-Year with Commendation is given to programs, either new or established, that comply with all standards and receive a commendation rating for one or more standard,” according to the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer.  The college notes that there are several beneficial elements 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.
5.       The cancer registry and database is the basis for monitoring the quality of care.

            For the patient and community, the quality standards established by the CoC for cancer programs ensure:

•       comprehensive care including a complete range of state-of-the-art services and equipment;
•       a multidisciplinary team approach to coordinate the best available treatment options;
•       information about ongoing cancer clinical trials and new treatment options;
•       access to prevention and early detection programs, cancer education, and support services;
•       a cancer registry that offers lifelong patient follow-up;
•       ongoing monitoring and improvements in cancer care; and
•       quality care, close to home.

 

            “Mon General Hospital is extremely pleased to have achieved this accreditation and to now be recognized as among the nation’s leading, high-quality community cancer programs,” said Darryl Duncan, Mon Health System President and CEO. “We have made significant investments and have worked to improve cancer treatment options for our patients and for our community.  This Comprehensive Community Cancer Program (CCCP) accreditation affirms that our staff is providing convenient, quality, patient-centered cancer treatment for this region.” 

            Duncan noted that the hospital’s cancer care program will be fully comprehensive once the state Health Care Authority approves plans to build a new radiation oncology treatment center in the hospital’s facility in Morgantown.

             “Our application looks extremely strong. We have a fully funded project that will not require any borrowing or increased cost to the patients we serve, we have established there is an unmet need in the region based on the Health Care Authority’s methodology and now we can demonstrate we meet the requirements for the Comprehensive Community Cancer Center designation,” Duncan said.

             “This center, which will be funded entirely by the generosity of the hospital’s foundation, will provide the final component in comprehensive cancer care at the hospital and create a central location for our cancer therapies,” said John Azar, M.D., medical director of Mon General Hospital’s Zelda Stein Weiss Cancer Center.  “There is a need for this treatment option at Mon General, and our patients – and their families -- deserve this coordinated, convenient care under one roof.”

 

About The American College of Surgeons

The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational association of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to improve the quality of care for the surgical patient by setting high standards for surgical education and practice.  For more information, go to: http://www.facs.org