Saint Clare's Earns National Accreditation with Commendation from The Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons

Saint Clare's Earns National Accreditation with Commendation from The Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons
Awarded to Facility that Exceeds Standard Requirements of Voluntary Survey

DENVILLE, NJ – July 12, 2013 – Cancer Care at Saint Clare’s, the comprehensive oncology program for Saint Clare’s Health System, was granted Three-Year Accreditation with Commendation by The Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons (ACoS). To earn voluntary CoC accreditation, a cancer program must meet or exceed 34 CoC quality care standards, be evaluated every three years through a survey process, and maintain levels of excellence in the delivery of comprehensive patient-centered care. Three-Year Accreditation with Commendation is only awarded to a facility that exceeds standard requirements at the time of its triennial survey.

Because it is a CoC-accredited cancer center,Cancer Care at Saint Clare’stakes a multidisciplinary approach to treating cancer as a complex group of diseases that requires consultation among surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, diagnostic radiologists, pathologists, and other cancer specialists. This multidisciplinary partnership results in improved patient care.

“Saint Clare’s is extremely proud of Cancer Care at Saint Clare’s, our comprehensive oncology program,” said Leslie D. Hirsch, president and CEO of Saint Clare’s Health System. “Receiving a three-year Accreditation with Commendation represents quality, commitment and performance at the highest level, every day and for each individual patient. Excellence is what our patients expect, and we are pleased to be recognized for the outstanding cancer care provided by Saint Clare’s.”

The CoC Accreditation Program provides the framework for Cancer Care at Saint Clare’s to improve its quality of patient care through various cancer-related programs that focus on the full spectrum of cancer care including prevention, early diagnosis, cancer staging, optimal treatment, rehabilitation, life-long follow-up for recurrent disease, and end-of-life care. When patients receive care at a CoC facility, they also have access to information on clinical trials and new treatments, genetic counseling, and patient-centered services including psycho-social support, a patient navigation process, and a survivorship care plan that documents the care each patient receives and seeks to improve cancer survivors’ quality of life.

Like all CoC-accredited facilities, Cancer Care at Saint Clare’s maintains a cancer registry and contributes data to the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB), a joint program of the CoC and American Cancer Society (ACS). This nationwide oncology outcomes database is the largest clinical disease registry in the world. Data on all types of cancer are tracked and analyzed through the NCDB and used to explore trends in cancer care. CoC-accredited cancer centers, in turn, have access to information derived from this type of data analysis, which is used to create national, regional, and state benchmark reports. These reports help CoC facilities with their quality improvement efforts.

ACS estimates that more than 1.6 million cases of cancer will be diagnosed in 2013. There are currently more than 1,500 CoC-accredited cancer programs in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, representing 30 percent of all hospitals. CoC-accredited facilities diagnose and/or treat more than 70 percent of all newly diagnosed cancer patients. When cancer patients choose to seek care locally at a CoC-accredited cancer center, they are gaining access to comprehensive, state-of-the-art cancer care close to home. The CoC provides the public with information on the resources, services, and cancer treatment experience for each CoC-accredited cancer program through the CoC Hospital Locator athttp://www.facs.org/cancerprogram/index.html.

About the Commission on Cancer:
Established in 1922 by the American College of Surgeons, the CoC 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. Its membership includes Fellows of the American College of Surgeons. For more information, visit: www.facs.org/cancer.