MAYWOOD, Ill. -- Loyola University Health System's Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center has received an Outstanding Achievement Award from the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons.
The award is given to a select group of centers that receive the highest rating in each of seven standards. The centers were surveyed in 2011.
The seven standards represent six areas of cancer program activity: cancer committee leadership, cancer data management, clinical management, research, community outreach and quality improvement. Centers undergo on-site evaluation by physician surveyors. To qualify for the Outstanding Achievement Award, a center also must be in compliance with 29 other program standards.
Nationwide, 106 programs, or 22 percent of the total cancer centers, received Outstanding Achievement Awards. In the Chicago area, only three centers besides Loyola received the award.
Receiving care at a center accredited by the Commission on Cancer ensures that a patient will have access to the full range of quality cancer care close to home.
The Commission on Cancer, established in 1922 by the American College of Surgeons, is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival and quality of life for cancer patients through standard-setting, prevention, research, education and monitoring of comprehensive quality care. Its membership includes Fellows of the American College of Surgeons and representatives of 47 national organizations that reflect the full spectrum of cancer care.