The George Washington University Hospital Receives National Re-Accreditation From the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons
The Commission on Cancer (CoC), a quality program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS), has once again granted Three-Year Accreditation to the cancer program at The George Washington University Hospital (GW Hospital). To earn voluntary CoC accreditation, a cancer program must meet 34 CoC quality care standards, be evaluated every three years through a survey process, and maintain levels of excellence in the delivery of comprehensive patient-centered care.
"We are thrilled to once again receive this accreditation from the American College of Surgeons for our high-quality, comprehensive cancer care," says Kimberly Russo, MBA, MS, Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director of GW Hospital and Group Vice President of the Washington, DC region. "This notable, national recognition highlights our ongoing commitment to be at the forefront of providing the latest in academic, evidence-based cancer care so our patients can have the best outcomes possible."
Cancer Care at GW Hospital
As a CoC-accredited cancer center, GW Hospital takes a multidisciplinary approach to treating cancer as a complex group of diseases that requires consultation among surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, diagnostic radiologists, pathologists, and other cancer specialists. This multidisciplinary partnership results in improved patient care.
The CoC Accreditation Program provides the framework for GW Hospital to improve its quality of patient care through various cancer-related programs that focus on the full spectrum of cancer care including prevention, early diagnosis, cancer staging, optimal treatment, rehabilitation, life-long follow-up for recurrent disease, and end-of-life care. When patients receive care at a CoC facility, they also have access to information on clinical trials and new treatments, genetic counseling, and patient-centered services including psycho-social support, a patient navigation process, and a survivorship care plan that documents the care each patient receives and seeks to improve cancer survivors’ quality of life.
"As an academic medical center, GW Hospital is committed to continual improvement to ensure our patients receive the highest quality care and achieve the best possible outcomes," says Robert Siegel, MD, Division Director of Hematology/Oncology at GW Hospital. "I want to thank our entire multidisciplinary cancer team for what they do every day to support our patients."
Like all CoC-accredited facilities, GW Hospital maintains a cancer registry and contributes data to the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB), a joint program of the CoC and American Cancer Society. This nationwide oncology outcomes database is the largest clinical disease registry in the world. Data on all types of cancer are tracked and analyzed through the NCDB and used to explore trends in cancer care. CoC-accredited cancer centers, in turn, have access to information derived from this type of data analysis, which is used to create national, regional, and state benchmark reports. These reports help CoC facilities with their quality improvement efforts.
Established in 1922 by the American College of Surgeons, the CoC is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving patient outcomes and quality of life for cancer patients through standard-setting, prevention, research, education, and the monitoring of comprehensive, quality care.
In addition to this recognition, GW Hospital was recognized as one of the Best Hospitals in the Washington, DC region for 2020-2021.