The Commission on Cancer (CoC), a quality program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) has granted three-year accreditation to the cancer program at Northwest Health – La Porte. To earn voluntary CoC accreditation, a cancer program must meet 34 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.
As an accredited cancer center, Northwest Health – La Porte takes a multidisciplinary approach to treating cancer as a complex group of diseases explains Kalid Adab, M.D., medical oncologist-hematologist. “When cancer patients choose to seek care locally at Northwest Health – La Porte, they are gaining access to comprehensive, state-of-the-art cancer care close to home,” said Adab. According to Dr. Adab that requires consultation among surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, diagnostic radiologists, pathologists, and other cancer specialists. “This multidisciplinary partnership results in improved patient care,” he added.
“Northwest Health – La Porte is thoroughly committed to providing our patients with the highest quality of cancer care,” said Keith Nichols, Chief Executive Officer for Northwest Health – La Porte. “The Commission on Cancer’s accreditation has given us the opportunity to highlight our exceptional cancer care and our outstanding cancer care team members for their commitment to excellence.”
Jessica Fiehler, oncology service line director, explains that the accreditation program provides the framework for Northwest Health – La Porte 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 Northwest Health – La Porte, 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,” said Fiehler.
Like all CoC-accredited facilities, Northwest Health – La Porte maintains a cancer registry and contributes data to the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB), a joint program of the CoC and American Cancer Society. 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.
The American Cancer Society estimates that more than 1.7 million cases of cancer will be diagnosed in 2018. There are currently more than 1,500 CoC-accredited cancer programs in the U.S. and Puerto Rico that diagnose and/or treat more than 70 percent of all newly diagnosed patients with cancer. For more information about the cancer care services at Northwest Health – La Porte, visit NWHealthIN.com.
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About Northwest Health
Northwest Health is a comprehensive healthcare system committed to providing communities in Northwest Indiana with high-quality, accessible healthcare—from highly specialized care and surgical services to more routine primary care. The system of more than 60 access points includes three hospitals, five emergency departments, urgent care centers, outpatient surgery centers, an ambulance service, and physician offices. A team of more than 3,000 employees work together with the more than 700 physicians on its medical staffs. For more information, visit NWHealthIN.com.
About the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons
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
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