TRINITY, FL (July 25, 2022) – HCA Florida Bayonet Point Hospital, HCA Florida Trinity Hospital and HCA Florida Oak Hill Hospital have together earned a three-year accreditation from the American College of Surgeon’s (ACS) Commission on Cancer (CoC) for their integrated network cancer program. The program was created by the three hospitals after each individually held ASC CoC accreditation for many years and saw the need to provide a coordinated approach to cancer care for patients in Pasco County, Hernando County and surrounding communities.
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.
“As part of HCA Florida Healthcare, we are committed to transforming cancer care across the region and the state,” said Ravi Chari, M.D., president of HCA Healthcare West Florida Division. “We are excited to be working with the oncology experts at HCA Healthcare’s Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute on the first of what we are hoping are several regional approaches to expand the expertise, resources and support we can provide to the cancer patients and cancer survivors we are privileged to serve.”
As a CoC-accredited cancer center the program will take 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.
“COC accreditation of our integrated approach to cancer care is an important milestone for us,” explains Andrea Buchmeier, Regional Vice President, Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute, HCA Healthcare West Florida Division. “Eighty-five percent of cancer patients are treated in the community and our goal is to provide quality care close to home.”
The CoC Accreditation Program provides the framework to improve 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 clinical trials and new treatments, genetic counseling and patient-centered services including psycho-social support, patient navigation and a survivorship care plan that documents the care each patient receives and seeks to improve cancer survivors’ quality of life.
Like all CoC-accredited facilities, the integrated network 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. Its membership includes Fellows of the American College of Surgeons. For more information, visit: www.facs.org/cancer.
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About HCA Florida Healthcare
HCA Florida Healthcare, a part of HCA Healthcare, is a family of more than 570 affiliated sites of care, including hospitals, physician practices and freestanding emergency rooms. United as a statewide network in 2021, HCA Florida Healthcare includes approximately 11,000 experienced doctors and 77,000 colleagues working together to deliver advanced, collaborative care to more than 7.4 million patients each year. HCA Florida Healthcare is committed to improving more lives in more ways and giving back to the communities it serves. The network provided nearly $836.6 million in uncompensated care and invested significantly in innovative technologies and facilities across Florida, including the new $360 million state-of-the-art, multi-specialty HCA Florida University Hospital in Davie, Fla. A strong advocate for the next generation of healthcare professionals, HCA Florida Healthcare is also a major supporter of university-based healthcare programs and residencies and fellowships throughout the Sunshine State. For more information, please visit HCAFloridaHealthcare.com.
About Sarah Cannon
Sarah Cannon, the Cancer Institute of HCA Healthcare, offers integrated cancer services with convenient access to cutting-edge therapies for those facing cancer in communities across the United States and United Kingdom. Sarah Cannon’s cancer programs include individualized patient navigation provided by oncology-trained nurses, hundreds of clinical trials, and molecular profiling capabilities. Additionally, more than 1,400 transplant and cellular therapy patients are treated annually throughout the Sarah Cannon Transplant & Cellular Therapy Network. Through its services, Sarah Cannon is providing world-class cancer care close to home for hundreds of thousands of patients, a number unmatched by any single cancer center. To learn more about Sarah Cannon, visit sarahcannon.com.