The American College of Surgeons (ACS) has named the UNC Hospitals as an ACS Surgical Quality Partner for participating in two of its quality programs, the Commission on Cancer and the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer.
“Treatment paradigms in cancer are constantly evolving as cancer care improves and becomes more personalized,” said Karyn B. Stitzenberg, MD, MPH, FACS, professor of surgical oncology at UNC School of Medicine and a member of UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Cancer Prevention and Control research program. “Participation in established quality programs such as these has been a great way for us to ensure we are continuing to deliver the highest quality care across our programs. Accreditation also stands as external validation of the high-quality cancer care and programs that UNC has built and sustained over time.”
The Commission on Cancer is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival and quality of life for patients with cancer by setting and raising standards. Earning accreditation demonstrates the commitment of UNC Hospitals, including N.C. Basnight Cancer Hospital, the clinical home of UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, to provide comprehensive patient-centered care that utilizes a multidisciplinary approach and is focused on prevention, early diagnosis, cancer staging, optimal treatment, rehabilitation, life-long follow-up for recurrent disease, and end-of-life care.
The National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer conducts rigorous program evaluations based on comprehensive standards to demonstrate compliance and institutional commitment to providing high-quality rectal cancer care. To earn accreditation, a program must provide multidisciplinary rectal cancer care that is overseen by a qualified rectal cancer program director, demonstrate that rectal cancer patients receive appropriate care based on diagnosis and within specified time targets, and verify that the program routinely utilizes data to improve efficiency, standardize care and improve outcomes.
The ACS was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and quality of care for all surgical patients. Today, it oversees a range of accreditation and verification programs designed to improve surgical care and outcomes through the development of comprehensive and evidence-based standards of care.