Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States was recently granted Three-Year Accreditation with Commendation from the Commission on Cancer (CoC), a quality program of the American College of Surgeons, for its cancer program. To receive this noteworthy endorsement, cancer programs must meet or surpass quality care standards set by the Commission on Cancer, be assessed every three years by survey, and deliver exceptional comprehensive patient-centered care.
Three-Year Accreditation with Commendation is only given to programs that exceed standard requirements at the time of the three-year evaluation.
As an accredited cancer center, Kaiser Permanente takes an approach to treating cancer that crosses all disciplines, requiring consultation between surgeons, oncologists, pathologists, diagnostic radiologists, and other cancer specialists to address this complex group of diseases. This patient-focused coordination results in better care.
“Our remarkable Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group physicians are national leaders in the early detection of cancer as well as innovative, coordinated cancer treatment,” said Bernadette Loftus, MD, former associate executive director, the Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group. “Their dedicated and collaborative work is the reason why we recently earned a three-year accreditation from the Commission on Cancer as a Comprehensive Community Cancer Care Program. I am proud that our team so skillfully demonstrated to the CoC how a non-hospital based, integrated delivery system across 30+ facilities provides integrated, comprehensive cancer care to our patients. In addition to securing accreditation, we also received five commendations—a rare accomplishment to occur as part of an initial accreditation. As the largest integrated medical group in the region, we are proud to have the opportunity to offer award-winning cancer care to so many patients.”
This accreditation supports the work that Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States is doing to improve patient care through programs that focus on the complete spectrum of cancer care. These include prevention, early diagnosis, cancer staging, optimal treatment, rehabilitation, follow-up for recurrent disease, and end-of-life care. Patients who receive care at a CoC facility have access to information about clinical trials and emerging treatments, genetic counseling, and a variety of patient-centered services.
