The Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons has granted a three-year accreditation with commendation to the cancer program at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham. This prestigious recognition comes as Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and BID-Needham get set to consolidate its west suburban cancer services into a new, state-of-the-art comprehensive center in Needham. It is slated to open in the spring of 2014.

"Receiving this accreditation speaks to our commitment to providing the best cancer care possible in our community," said BID-Needham President and CEO John Fogarty. "The new center will build on this commitment and expand the expertise available to our patients."
"We know a cancer diagnosis and treatment can sometimes be a daunting experience so we have made it our mission to provide the best individualize treatment plans possible for our patients and their families," said BID-Needham Chief of Oncology Mark Huberman, MD. "Our team of oncologists, nurses, social workers, and nutritionists work closely with each other and the patient to make the experience as comfortable and successful as possible."

Receiving care at a Commission on Cancer accredited cancer program ensures a patient will have access to quality care close to home plus:

• Comprehensive care, including a range of state-of-the art services and equipment.
• Multispecialty, 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 lifelong patient follow-up
• Ongoing monitoring and improvement of care

Accreditation by the CoC is given only to those facilities that have voluntarily committed to providing the highest level of quality cancer care and that undergo a rigorous evaluation process and review of their performance. To maintain accreditation, facilities with CoC-accredited cancer programs must undergo an on-site review every three years.

About Commission on Cancer
Established in 1922 by the American College of Surgeons, 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. 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 include setting standards for quality, multidisciplinary cancer patient care; surveying facilities to evaluate compliance with the 36 CoC standards; collecting standardized and quality data from accredited facilities; and using the data to develop effective educational interventions to improve cancer care outcomes at the national, state, and local level.
The Accreditation Program, a component of the CoC, sets quality-of-care standards for cancer programs and reviews the programs to ensure they conform to those standards.