Lange-Fuhs Cancer Center receives accreditation from the Commission on Cancer

Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center’s Lange-Fuhs Cancer Center has been awarded a Three-Year Accreditation with Commendation by The Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons (ACoS). The accreditation was granted following the on-site evaluation by a physician surveyor proving the Lange-Fuhs Cancer Center demonstrates a Commendation level of compliance with one or more standards that represent the full scope of the cancer program including cancer committee leadership, cancer data management, clinical services, research, community outreach, and quality improvement.

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. 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. There are approximately 1,500 CoC-accredited cancer programs in the United States and Puerto Rico, with approximately 80% of newly diagnosed cancer patients being treated in one of these facilities.

Receiving care at a CoC-accredited cancer program ensures that a patient will have access to comprehensive care, including a range of state-of-the art services and equipment; a 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; as well as quality care that is close to home.

The Lange-Fuhs Cancer Center, located at Memorial Hospital’s Dorbett Street entrance, combines top quality medical oncology and radiation services with integrative medicine in a warm, peaceful environment. The team of physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and therapists is truly committed to superior, compassionate, individualized care while embracing both conventional and complementary therapies. Robert Mandal, M.D., Medical Oncologist, Karim Anwar, M.D., Medical Oncologist, and Crystal Reed, M.D., Radiation Oncologist, are physicians at the Lange-Fuhs Cancer Center. Cheryle Daunhauer serves as manager, and Kelly Clauss is the department director. For more information about the Lange-Fuhs Cancer Center, please call 996-0626.

The Commission on Cancer is a group 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 49 national organizations that reflect the full spectrum of cancer care. For more information about the Commission on Cancer, visit their website at www.facs.org/cancer/index.html.