Fawcett’s Cancer Program Accredited by the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons

Port Charlotte, Florida (November 30, 2009) – The Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons (ACoS) has granted a Three-Year Accreditation with Commendation to the Cancer Program at Fawcett Memorial Hospital. Fawcett is the only hospital in Charlotte County to bear this distinction.

Eric Lubiner, DO,  Medical Oncologist and Chairman of Fawcett’s Cancer Committee said, “This achievement truly demonstrates Fawcett Memorial Hospital’s dedication to high quality cancer care for Charlotte County.” 

Fawcett received a Three Year Accreditation with Commendation following an on-site evaluation by a physician surveyor.  Some of the elements examined include: cancer committee leadership, cancer data management, clinical services, research, community outreach initiatives and quality improvement. During Fawcett’s survey, the hospital demonstrated a Commendation level of compliance with six separate standards that represent the full scope of the cancer program.  According to Sandra Morgan, RN, Chief Nursing Officer at Fawcett, “I am so proud of our team here at Fawcett.  They have worked so hard to earn this achievement, and it is well deserved.  We have a remarkable team of professionals who are dedicated to providing the highest level of care possible.  We’ve known it for a long time, but it’s nice that a national accrediting body knows it, too.”  In addition to the Commendations, Fawcett received a compliance rating for all other standards. 

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.  “Our patients are truly the winners here.  It’s important that they know that they will receive the finest, nationally recognized care, right here in their hometown, rather than having to travel away to receive the care they need,” said Morgan.

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. 

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.  According to Dr. Lubiner, “We are fortunate to have a hospital in this community so dedicated to providing quality cancer care.”  To maintain accreditation, Fawcett will undergo an on-site review every three years.

Receiving care at Fawcett Memorial Hospital’s CoC-accredited cancer program ensures that patients will have access to:

  • Comprehensive care, including a range of state-of-the-art services and equipment.
  • Multispecialty, 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.
    John P. Rioux, MD, FACS is Fawcett’s Cancer Physician Liaison.  He added, “Based on a decade of experience at Fawcett Memorial Hospital, I’m convinced that physicians on our medical staff are committed to improving the lives of our patients by setting high standards for cancer care.”

Cancer patient data is 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 outcome information for more than 18 million cancer patients diagnosed and treated at hospital cancer programs in the US between 1985 and 2004.  These data account for approximately two-thirds of the newly diagnosed cancer cases in the US each year. 

NCDB data is regularly used to monitor and improve quality of patient care delivered in CoC-accredited cancer programs the CoC requires programs to implement quality improvement initiatives that promote delivery of quality, multidisciplinary cancer care and lead to ongoing educational interventions with local providers in the CoC-accredited cancer programs.  According to Dr. Rioux, “In comparing healthcare outcomes with other accredited programs, we are able to identify areas for improvement in care and illustrate our cancer program successes. Collaboration with organizations such as the American Cancer Society is an important component of our community outreach.”

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

About Fawcett Memorial Hospital

Fawcett Memorial Hospital is a 238-bed, full-service acute care hospital serving Charlotte County and the surrounding areas since 1975. Clinical specialties include 24-hour emergency care center, a comprehensive ACoS CoC accredited cancer program, Joint Commission accredited Stroke Center of Excellence, accredited Chest Pain Center with Percutaneous Coronary Intervention, Spine and Orthopedic Center with accredited Pain Management program, Wound Management and Hyperbaric Medicine, Bariatric Services, inpatient and outpatient surgery, minimally invasive surgery, CARF accredited inpatient rehabilitation, Fawcett Sports & Rehabilitation and many outpatient programs. Fawcett also provides a variety of community wellness programs as part of its ongoing commitment to community outreach and education. For more information about Fawcett Memorial Hospital call (941) 624-4441.