Sr. Caritas Cancer Center Receives Outstanding Achievement Award
SPRINGFIELD — The Sr. Caritas Cancer Center at Mercy Medical Center has been selected by the Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons as a recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Award (OAA), which recognizes cancer programs that strive for excellence in providing quality care to cancer patients.
The Sr. Caritas Cancer Center is one of a select group of 90 accredited cancer programs across the U.S. to earn this recognition.
The Sr. Caritas Cancer Center’s cancer program was granted ‘Three-Year Accreditation with Commendation’ from the CoC in 2010 after demonstrating a ‘commendation’ level of performance regarding one or more standards that represent the full scope of the cancer program. Cancer programs that attain commendation-level accreditation are eligible for consideration for the OAA.
“The Outstanding Achievement Award is a tremendous honor that not only places the Sr. Caritas Cancer Center at the forefront of cancer care in the region, but also reflects the hard work and dedication of the cancer center’s entire staff of professionals,” said Daniel Moen, President and CEO of the Sisters of Providence Health System.
The OAA was presented following an on-site evaluation by a physician surveyor in 2010, which evaluated all components of the hospital’s cancer program, including clinical services, research, community outreach, quality improvement, cancer data management, and cancer committee leadership.
“It’s important to note that participation in this rigorous evaluation is voluntary and reflects the overwhelming commitment of our cancer program team to provide our cancer patients with comprehensive care,” said Dr. Catherine Carton, medical director of the Sr. Caritas Cancer Center and chairperson of the Cancer Program. “This team has a singular focus: to help each of our cancer patients receive the best possible outcome. Their dedication is exemplary, and I am proud to work side-by-side with every member of our team.”
The Sr. Caritas Cancer Center was also awarded a three-year accreditation in Radiation Oncology by the American College of Radiology (ACR) in 2010. The ACR awards accreditation to facilities for the achievement of high practice standards based on evaluations by board-certified radiation oncologists and medical physicists.
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. It was established by the American College of Surgeons in 1922.