Audrain Medical Center Receives Outstanding Achievement Award from the Commission on Cancer for the Third Time

The American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (CoC) has awarded Audrain Medical Center an Outstanding Achievement Award, recognizing AMC’s commitment to quality in its cancer program. Audrain Medical Center is one of only 90 hospitals nationwide and the only one in Missouri to receive Outstanding Achievement status in 2010.

The CoC Outstanding Achievement Award (OAA) is designed to recognize cancer programs that strive for excellence in providing quality care to cancer patients. A facility receives the OAA following an on-site evaluation by a physician surveyor during which the facility demonstrates compliance with seven standards that represent the full scope of the cancer program: Cancer committee leadership, cancer data management, clinical services, research, community outreach and quality improvement. In addition, facilities receive a compliance rating for 29 other standards. Ninety programs received the OAA as a result of surveys performed in 2010. This number represents approximately seventeen percent of the programs surveyed during this period.

This is the third consecutive time Audrain Medical Center has achieved this level of recognition from the CoC. This award is made possible by the efforts of many physicians and the employees in the Cancer Center, Cancer Registry, Health Information Services, Quality Management, Nursing, Patient Education and Social Services.

“Thanks to Joe Corrado, MD, Surgeon; Shahid Waheed, MD,  Medical Oncologist; Joseph Bean, MD, Radiation Oncologist; George Cyriac, MD, Radiologist;  James Northern, DO, Radiologist; John Carlson, MD, Pathologist and Leslie Miller, MD, Pathologist for their leadership of the AMC cancer program,” commented David A. Neuendorf, President/CEO. “This award confirms the excellent quality of care cancer patients receive at the J.B. and Greeta B. Arthur Cancer.”

Receiving care at a facility with a CoC-Approved Cancer Program ensures patients that they will have access to:

• Comprehensive care, including a range of state-of-the-art services and equipment
• A multi-specialty 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 lifetime patient follow-up
• Ongoing monitoring and improvement of care
• And quality care “close to home”.

“This award provides proof that the care our patients receive is not only excellent but competes with big city cancer centers,” Dr. Shahid Waheed noted. “I am pleased to be part of the team providing care at AMC.”

Posted: 2011-04-15