The Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons has granted three-year approval with seven commendations to the cancer program at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center. Only one in four cancer programs at hospitals across the U.S. receive this approval.

A facility receives a three-year approval with commendation following an on-site evaluation by a physician surveyor during which the facility demonstrates a commendation level of compliance with one or more of the standards that represent the full scope of the cancer program such as cancer committee leadership, cancer data management, clinical services, research, community outreach and quality improvement. In addition, a facility receives a compliance rating for all other standards.
 
Established in 1922 by the American College of Surgeons, the Commission on Cancer is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival rates 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 and 42 national organizations that reflect the full spectrum of cancer care.

The core functions of the Commission on Cancer include setting standards for quality, multidisciplinary cancer patient care; surveying facilities to evaluate compliance with the 36 Commission on Cancer standards; collecting standardized and quality data from approved facilities; and using the data to develop effective educational interventions to improve cancer care outcomes at the national, state and local level. The approval program, a component of the Commission on Cancer, sets quality-of-care standards for cancer programs and reviews the programs to ensure they conform to those standards.

Approval by the Commission on Cancer is given only to those facilities that have voluntarily committed to providing the highest level of quality cancer care and undergo a rigorous evaluation process and review of their performance. To maintain approval, facilities with Commission on Cancer-approved cancer programs must undergo an on-site review every three years. Receiving care at a Commission on Cancer-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 multi-specialty 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

And, most importantly,
• quality care close to home

Through an exclusive partnership with the American Cancer Society, the Commission on Cancer provides the public with information on the resources, services and cancer treatment experience for each Commission on Cancer-approved cancer program. This information is shared with the public on the American Cancer Society’s Web site at www.cancer.org and through the American Cancer Society’s National Cancer Information Center at 1-800-ACS-2345.

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

Samaritan Regional Cancer Center is located on the campus of Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Corvallis, Ore. The cancer center takes great pride in the outstanding array of diagnostic, treatment and follow-up cancer services it offers. With its highly-trained team of physicians, radiation therapists, nurses, dosimetrists, medical social workers, physicists, dietitians and hospital chaplains, the center offers uncompromising care, individualized for each patient.

For more information about Samaritan Regional Cancer Center, visit www.samhealth.org or call (541) 768-5220.