Central Florida Health has again been granted a three-year accreditation with commendation by the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer. To be accredited, a hospital must have an oversight body that meets quarterly, hold multidisciplinary tumor board cancer conferences that meet regularly to review existing cancer cases, have quality improvement measures in place, and participate in community outreach.
Central Florida Health offers an active program to provide a number of services to patients who are diagnosed with cancer at Leesburg Regional Medical Center and The Villages Regional Hospital.
“Accreditation by the Commission on Cancer is much more than just a badge of honor,” said Elizabeth Jernigan, cancer program administrator at Central Florida Health. “Achieving and maintaining accreditation assures our patients that we meet all up-to- date national standards of cancer care.”
The CoC accreditation program helps facilities improve quality of patient care through various cancer-related programs focusing on the full spectrum of cancer care. These include prevention, early diagnosis, cancer staging, optimal treatment, rehabilitation, life-long follow up for recurrent disease and end-of-life care. Patients who receive care at a CoC facility have access to information on clinical trials, new treatments, and patient-centered services include patient navigation and a survivorship care plan that documents each patient’s care and seeks to improve cancer survivors’ quality of life.
Central Florida Health offers inpatient treatment units, an active cancer registry that contributes to national data, weekly Tumor Board meetings attended by physicians, and nurses serving as cancer navigators to provide resources and consultation for any patient and their family.
“Accreditation serves as a gold seal, affirming the high quality of an individual community’s cancer program overall,” said Don Henderson, President and CEO of Central Florida Health. “I am very proud of the care we offer to patients who are diagnosed with cancer. Through our partnership with Florida Cancer Specialists, a dedicated inpatient cancer treatment unit at both hospitals, and the guidance of our compassionate nurse navigators, patients at CFH hospitals can be reassured they will continue to receive the best of care during this difficult time for them and their family.”
