SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb., – The American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer has granted the Regional West Cancer Services program a three-year accreditation with commendation.

To earn voluntary Commission on Cancer accreditation, a cancer program must meet or exceed 34 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. Three-year accreditation with commendation is only awarded to a facility that exceeds standard requirements in its survey.

Regional West 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.

“Regional West is fortunate to have excellent providers and staff who work in partnership to support cancer patients throughout the region. A cancer diagnosis can be devastating. That’s why our providers focus on compassion, as much as advanced care. The two are equally important to cancer patients,” said Todd Sorensen, MD, MS, Regional West Health Services president and CEO.

The Commission on Cancer Accreditation Program provides the framework for Regional West’s cancer program to improve its quality of patient care through the full spectrum of cancer services, including prevention, early diagnoses, cancer staging, optimal treatment, rehabilitation, life-long follow up for recurrent disease, and end of life care. Regional West patients 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.

Like all American College of Surgeons-accredited facilities, Regional West’s Cancer Services program maintains a cancer registry and contributes data to the National Cancer Data Base, a joint program of the Commission on Cancer and the 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 and used to explore trends in cancer care. Commission on Cancer-accredited cancer centers 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 Commission on Cancer facilities with their quality improvement efforts.

When cancer patients choose to seek care locally at a Commission on Cancer -accredited cancer center, they gain access to comprehensive, state-of-the-art cancer care close to home. The Commission on Cancer provides the public with information on the resources, services, and cancer treatment experience for each Commission on Cancer-accredited cancer program through the Commission on Cancer hospital locator at http://www.facs.org/cancerprogram/index.html.

Established in 1922 by the American College of Surgeons, the Commission on Cancer 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. Its membership includes Fellows of the American College of Surgeons. For more information, visit www.facs.org/cancer.

Regional West Health Services, with over 1,800 employees, provides comprehensive and innovative health care services for the people and communities of western Nebraska and the neighboring states of Colorado, South Dakota and Wyoming. With over 110 active physicians, 95 percent of whom are board certified or board eligible, plus an additional 25 consulting specialists, we offer care that spans more than 30 medical specialties. Regional West Medical Center, a subsidiary of Regional West Health Services, is accredited by The Joint Commission and is one of three Level II Trauma Centers in the state of Nebraska.