Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center

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COVINGTON, LA- The St. Tammany Parish Hospital (STPH) Community Hospital Cancer Program and Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center in Covington received renewal of their accreditation by the Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons (ACoS). The Cancer Program at STPH and Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center are among only 25 percent of all hospitals nationwide and the only program in west St.Tammany Parish to have CoC-approved cancer programs.

"Cancer patients and their loved ones can have peace of mind knowing that an independent organization certifies that they can receive comprehensive, world-class quality cancer care here," Patti Ellish, FACHE, STPH President and CEO said.

"Voluntarily choosing to submit our cancer care program to this rigorous certification process is part of our commitment to honoring our patients' rights to the best care we can provide," Ellish said.

"Although organizationally independent, our facilities collaborate closely with one another, community physicians and other medical facilities in an effort to promote a seamless, multidisciplinary cancer treatment delivery system for patients and their families," Todd Stevens, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center President and CEO said.

The programs earned the accreditation after an on-site evaluation by a physician surveyor during which they demonstrated a high level of compliance with standards representing the cancer program's full scope including cancer committee leadership, cancer data management, clinical services, research, community outreach and quality improvement. Both programs received commendations for outcomes analysis, quality of National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) data submission, prevention and early detention and cancer-related improvements. STPH received additional commendation for its cancer registry staff education.

"We strive to make innovative, high quality cancer care available to patients in their own community," Chryl Corizzo, RN, BSN, OCN, and STPH Cancer Program Director said. "This certification shows that our patients will benefit from our investments in training and technology."

CoC approval is nationally recognized as having established performance measures for the provision of high quality cancer care by organizations such as The Joint Commission, American Cancer Society, Aetna, the United States Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, National Quality Forum and the National Cancer Institute.

The CoC Accreditation Program sets quality-of-care standards for cancer programs and reviews compliance. Accreditation is given only to those facilities that voluntarily commit to providing the highest level of quality cancer care and that undergo a rigorous evaluation process and review of their performance.

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 multi-specialty, 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
• Quality care close to home.  

The Commission on Cancer (CoC) was established by the American College of Surgeons (ACoS) as a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival and quality of life for cancer patients through standard-setting, prevention, research, education and the monitoring of comprehensive quality care.

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A full-service acute care facility committed to providing world-class healthcare and the latest technology, St. Tammany Parish Hospital delivers today's life-improving procedures with the utmost care to area residents with emphasis on wellness, preventive care and disease management close to home. STPH is a self-supporting not-for-profit community hospital; it receives no tax funding. www.stph.org

Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center has been fighting cancer for over 35 years with locations in Baton Rouge, Covington, Hammond, Houma and Gonzales. It has comprehensive cancer programs with Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge and St. Tammany Parish Hospital in Covington. These programs are accredited by the American College of Surgeons - the gold standard for community-based cancer care. For more information visit www.marybird.org.