Content Overview
- Summary
- Step 1. What Are My Needs?
- Step 2. What Type Of Hospital Is Best For Me?
- Step 3. What Hospitals Provide The Services I Need?
- Step 4. What Is The Hospital's Expertise With The Procedure I Need?
- Step 5. What Accreditation Does The Hospital Have?
- Step 6. What is The Hospital's Quality/Safety Record?
- Step 7. Does The Hospital Fit My Financial/Insurance Situation?
- Step 8. Does The Hospital Meet My Practical Needs?
How To Choose A Hospital
Step 5. What Accreditation Does The Hospital Have?
Next » « Previous6/9
ACCREDITATION IN GENERAL
The Joint Commission is an independent, not-for-profit organization, which accredits and certifies more than 20,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. Joint Commission accreditation and certification is recognized nationwide as a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to meeting certain performance standards.
To learn if an organization is accredited by The Joint Commission, click here.
ACCREDITATION FOR CANCER TREATMENT
The National Cancer Institute and Commission on Cancer accredit cancer treatment facilities.
- National Cancer Institute (NCI) Center Program
- NCI facilities which are called "clinical cancer centers" and "comprehensive cancer centers" provide clinical care and services for cancer patients. They are up-to-date on the latest treatments because they also focus on cancer research, including areas such as experimental treatments, drug studies and clinical trials.
- You can find NCI comprehensive cancer centers at www.nci.nih.gov/cancercenters/ .
Commission on Cancer (of the American College of Surgeons)
- To locate an accredited facility visit:
- The American College of Surgeons website at facs.org/search/cancer-programs
- The American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org/medical_resources/Find
- The Commission on Cancer sets guidelines for cancer diagnosis and treatment with the goal of reducing the morbidity and mortality caused by cancer through prevention, monitoring and reporting of care, standard-setting, and education.
- All of the approved cancer programs are required to provide state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment services consisting of a multidisciplinary approach.
- Each facility includes a tumor board consisting of different kinds of cancer specialists who meet regularly to discuss individual cases. For example, a tumor board may include a pathologist, diagnostic radiologist, surgeon, medical oncologist, and radiation oncology. Board members discuss the form of cancer, its location, the state, and all of the possible treatments most likely to successfully treat a specific patient.
- Commission members include surgeons and representatives from thirty-seven professional organizations including the American Cancer Society, Cancer Care, the National Cancer Institute, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Even at a Commission on Cancer approved facility, the experience and volume of performed treatments and procedures will vary. If you have a rare or advanced form of cancer or are considering under going a complicated procedure, consider going to a national comprehensive cancer center or a facility that has performed the greatest numbers of these procedures.
Get Your Personal Guide
Please share how this information is useful to you. 0 Comments
Post a Comment Have something to add to this topic? Contact Us.