For Immediate Release
March 4, 2005

Roswell Park Cancer Institute Approved by the American College of Surgeons

BUFFALO, NY – The Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons has granted approval to the cancer program at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI). 

“The approval and recognition from the CoC is a deserved tribute to the excellence of the Roswell Park faculty and staff,” said David C. Hohn, MD, President and CEO of RPCI. “When the rapid changes in health care constantly challenge our commitment to excellence, this special approval makes us extraordinarily proud of everyone associated with the Institute.”

Approval by the CoC is given only to those facilities that have voluntarily committed to provide the best in diagnosis and treatment of cancer and to undergo a rigorous evaluation process and review of its performance. In order to maintain approval, facilities must undergo an on-site review every three years.

The CoC sets standards for quality multidisciplinary cancer care delivered primarily in hospital settings; surveys hospitals to assess compliance with those standards, collects standardized and quality data from approved hospitals to measure treatment patterns and outcomes; and uses data to evaluate hospital provider performance and to develop effective education interventions to improve cancer care outcomes at the national and local level. The CoC program promotes consultation among surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, diagnostic radiologists, pathologists and other cancer specialists recognizing multidisciplinary cooperation results in improved patient care.

Receiving care at a CoC approved cancer program ensures that a patient will have access to quality care close to home; comprehensive care offering a range of state-of-the art services and equipment; a multi-specialty team approach to coordinate the best treatment options available to cancer patients; information about cancer clinical trials, education and support; lifelong patient follow-up through a cancer registry that collects data on type and stage of cancers and treatment results; and ongoing monitoring and improvement of care.

“RPCI was one of the first organizations to be accredited by the American College of Surgeons in the 1930s. Following that tradition, RPCI is now one of the first cancer centers to attain the designation of accreditation with commendation,” said Dana Jenkins, Assistant Vice President of Organizational Performance Improvement, RPCI.

The CoC is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to reducing the morbidity and mortality of cancer through education, standard-setting and monitoring the quality of care. The American College of Surgeons is dedicated to improving the care of surgical patient and to safeguarding standards of care in an optimal and ethical practice environment.

Roswell Park Cancer Institute, founded in 1898, is the nation’s first cancer research, treatment and education center and is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Upstate New York.  RPCI is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers.  For more information, visit the RPCI website at www.roswellpark.org, call 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724) or e-mail askrpci@roswellpark.org.

-30-