Beebe's Tunnell Cancer Center earns accreditation with commendation
The Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons has granted a three-year accreditation with commendation to the Tunnell Cancer Center at Beebe Medical Center.
This is the third time that Tunnell Cancer Center has gained the coveted commendation designation as part of the certificate of accreditation, although Tunnell Cancer Center has consistently received accreditation from the Commission on Cancer.
The commission grants the three-year accreditation with commendation to a cancer facility following an on-site evaluation by a physician surveyor during which the facility must demonstrate a commendation level of compliance with one or more standards that represent the full scope of the cancer program. These standards include cancer committee leadership, cancer data management, clinical management, research, community outreach, professional education and staff support, and quality improvement. Tunnell Cancer Center was commended on six out of seven standards.
According to the commission, accreditation is given only to those facilities that have voluntarily committed to providing the highest level of quality cancer care and that agree to undergo a rigorous performance evaluation.
“We are extremely proud to have earned the commission’s highest approval award,” said Cherrie Rich, director of Oncology Services at Beebe Medical Center. “This is a tribute to all of those involved in the cancer program, including not only the medical oncologists, radiology oncologists and cancer center nurses and staff, but the pharmacists and all those in the laboratory, in dietary, in home health and community outreach, and those in our Tumor Registry who accurately report the data. This true team effort signifies our commitment to our patients and our community.”
The Tunnell Cancer Center opened in November 1995 at the Beebe Medical Center main campus in Lewes. Following more than a decade of growth, in 2006, the center moved into its present modern and spacious location at the Beebe Health Campus on John J. Williams Highway near Rehoboth Beach. Tunnell Cancer Center began in 1995 with two doctors and a handful of staff. Today, it is served by eight oncology specialist physicians and surgeons, and more than 90 clinicians and other experienced personnel, and it is visited by an average of 200 patients a day.
The Tunnell Cancer Center provides progressive, compassionate and comprehensive care. It offers patients the latest in chemotherapy and radiation treatment, as well as screenings, education materials and dietary counseling, support groups and outreach programs. Its patients also have the opportunity to participate in clinical trials used to study the latest breakthroughs in cancer treatment through its affiliation with Christiana Care Health System’s Helen F. Graham Cancer Center’s Community Clinical Oncology Program.
As a CoC-accredited program, Tunnell Cancer Center ensures that a patient 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 state of cancers and treatment results, and offers lifelong patient follow-up
• Ongoing survivorship care and wellness coaching
• Quality care close to home.
The center is dedicated to healing bodies, minds and spirits every day. More information on Tunnell Cancer Center can be found in the annual report being published this month on the Beebe Medical Center website at www.beebemed.org, or by calling the center at 302-645-3770.
The American College of Surgeons established the Commission on Cancer in 1922. It 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.
The core functions of the CoC including setting standards for quality, multidisciplinary cancer patient care, surveying facilities to evaluate compliance, and collecting data and using it to develop effective educational interventions to improve cancer care outcomes.
The American Cancer Society estimates that more than 1.5 million cases of cancer will be diagnosed in 2011. There are more than 1,400 CoC-accredited programs in the United States and Puerto Rico, representing about 25 percent of all hospitals. Those hospitals diagnose and treat nearly 71 percent of all diagnosed cancer patients each year.
Each CoC-accredited cancer program reports its cancer patient data to the CoC’s National Cancer Data Base, a joint CoC/American Cancer Society program. The NCDB contains patient demographics, tumor characteristics, and treatment and outcomes information for more than 18 million cancer patients diagnosed and treated at hospital cancer programs in the United States from 1985 to 2004.
Through a partnership with the American Cancer Society, the CoC provides the public with information on the resources, services and treatment experiences for each CoC-accredited cancer program. This information can be found at www.cancer.org, or by calling 800-227-2345. Visit www.facs.org/cancer/index.html for more information about the Commission on Cancer.
Beebe Medical Center is a not-for-profit community medical center with a mission to encourage healthy living, prevent illness, and restore optimal health for the people residing, working, or visiting in the communities it serves. For more information, visit www.beebemed.org.
