LRMC Cancer Program Earns 3-Year Accreditation ‘With Commendation’ from CoC
It’s been a long journey, but well worth the wait. Lapeer Regional Medical Center’s (LRMC) comprehensive Cancer Program has been granted a Three-year Accreditation “with Commendation” from the Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons (ACoS).
“It’s been a long time coming,” said LRMC President and CEO Bart Buxton. “Thanks to the dedicated vision, passion and hard work of our Medical Staff, Board of Directors and administrative staff, we were able to make this dream a reality. This high level of recognition is a reflection of the outstanding quality of our cancer program, as well as our rate of compliance with standards set forth by the American College of Surgeons.”
“What this means is that we have achieved a national standard of excellence,” added LRMC Vice president of Medical Affairs Gary Salem, D.O. “Our community deserves the very best health care and this designation underscores the fact that our patients don’t have to leave the area to get world class cancer services. They can get them right here in Lapeer.”
It’s been nearly six years since LRMC began its quest to build a 21,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art cancer facility on its medical center campus. Buxton credits LRMC’s long-standing commitment to providing excellent cancer care, and the dedicated efforts of the medical community in Lapeer, with making it happen.
LRMC and its cancer facility – the Great Lakes Cancer Institute-Lapeer (GLCI) – received its highly anticipated accreditation notice following an on-site evaluation that took place last month. A physician surveyor found that LRMC demonstrated a “Commendation” – the highest – level of compliance with numerous standards that represent the full scope of the cancer program (cancer committee leadership, cancer data management, clinical services, research, community outreach, and quality improvement).
“Since we opened on the LRMC campus, our patients have benefited from the latest cancer advances plus they have been able to stay close to home while receiving the best cancer treatment available anywhere,” said GLCI President and Medical Director Raymond Demers, M.D. “This accreditation gives us added credibility as we continue to move our cancer program forward.”
LRMC General Surgeon and Cancer Committee Member Ratan Rajani, M.D., agree: “I think the ability to offer comprehensive cancer treatment locally has been a big plus. It’s been very well received by my patients,” he said. “This speaks highly of our cancer team – physicians, nursing and ancillary departments – who work so closely together to provide high quality care.”
Established in 1922 by the American College of Surgeons, the CoC 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 CoC include setting standards for quality, multidisciplinary cancer patient care; surveying facilities to evaluate compliance with the 36 CoC standards; collecting standardized and quality data from accredited facilities; and using the data to develop effective educational interventions to improve cancer care outcomes at the national, state, and local level.
Receiving care at a CoC-accredited 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-disciplinary, 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.
“At our Cancer Center, we follow national research protocols that reassure our patients and family members that we maintain the same high standards and quality of care as much larger organizations,” said LRMC Cancer Committee Chairman Sai Bikkina, M.D.
Cancer patient data are reported by each CoC-accredited cancer program to the CoC’s National Cancer Data Base (NCDB), a joint CoC/American Cancer Society program. The NCDB currently contains patient demographics, tumor characteristics, and treatment and outcomes information for more than 18 million cancer patients diagnosed and treated at hospital cancer programs in the U.S. between 1985 and 2004. These data account for approximately two-thirds of newly diagnosed cancer cases in the U.S. each year.
“NCDB data is regularly used to monitor and improve the quality of patient care delivered in CoC-accredited cancer programs,” said LRMC Cancer Liaison Physician Sabry Mansour, M.D. “The CoC requires programs to implement quality improvement initiatives that promote the delivery of quality, multidisciplinary cancer care and lead to ongoing educational interventions with local providers in the CoC-accredited cancer programs.”
For more information about cancer services offered through LRMC, visit www.lapeerregional.org and click on Cancer Center listed under Key Services.
About CoC: The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that more than 1.4 million cases of cancer will be diagnosed in 2009. There are currently more than 1,400 CoC-accredited cancer programs in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, 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. In addition, a national network of more than 1,600 volunteer Cancer Liaison Physicians provides leadership and support for the CoC Accreditation Program and other CoC activities at these local facilities.
The Accreditation Program, a component of the CoC, sets quality-of-care standards for cancer programs and reviews the programs to ensure they conform to those standards. Accreditation 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 accreditation, facilities with CoC-accredited cancer programs must undergo an on-site review every three years. Through an exclusive partnership with the American Cancer Society, the CoC provides the public with information on the resources, services, and cancer treatment experience for each CoC-accredited 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 www.facs.org/cancer/index.html.
About The Great Lakes Cancer Institute: Great Lakes Cancer Institute (GLCI) is subsidiary of McLaren Health Care. It is a Michigan-based, multiple location treatment system offering state-of-the art cancer care options. GLCI is a research partnership that combines the innovative researchers of Michigan State University (MSU) with the modern facilities and technologies at McLaren Health Care. GLCI’s purpose is to provide Michigan citizens with the same level of cancer care achieved at the nation’s best cancer hospitals, without leaving the comfort of your own communities.
About Lapeer Regional Medical Center: LRMC is a 222-bed acute care hospital at 1375 N. Main Street in Lapeer. LRMC is the primary provider of health care services to Lapeer County and the surrounding area. LRMC, which is accredited by the Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program, offers a comprehensive range of specialties and services to meet medical and surgical needs, along with an exceptional team of medical professionals who provide high quality, expert care. LRMC is a subsidiary of McLaren Health Care, recognized by Verispan as one of the top Integrated Health Networks in the nation.
