Food for Life: Nutrition and Cooking Classes

Are you trying to eat better and maintain a healthy weight? Do you want to be more active but just can’t seem to get yourself moving? Come to the Centra Alan B. Pearson Regional Cancer Center this June and discover simple, effective ways to incorporate healthy eating and exercise into your busy life.

June 5

Eat to Live: Seven Smart Eating Tips To Decrease Cancer Risk And Improve Overall Health

June 12

Tiny is Mighty! Even Small Steps Can Yield Big Health Benefits

June 19

Meals In Minutes: Learn How To Plan, Purchase And Prepare Healthy Meals

Class Times:  5 to 6:30pm

Come learn about how to prepare simple yet delicious, healthy foods that are part of a lifestyle that strengthens your body’s natural ability to resist cancer. Maintaining a healthy weight and choosing nutritious foods are powerful tools in reducing your cancer risk. These free classes are intended for people of all ages, living with or without a history of cancer. Sample healthy foods at each class.

Door prizes.

Centra Alan B. Pearson Regional Cancer Center Conference Room 1701 Thomson Drive Lynchburg, Virginia

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO SIGN UP FOR CLASSES, CONTACT ANITA LOWE, 434.200.6093, OR EMAIL This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

1st Annual Clubs for Cancer Golf Tournament

Golfers! The 1st annual Clubs for Cancer Golf Tournament" is coming

Wednesday, June 12th at London Downs Golf Course

1614 New London Road, Forest.

Golfers may compete in a

million dollar hole-in-one challenge on the golf course

Sponsored by Virginia Eagle Distributing Company and Pepsi,

proceeds from this event will provide funding for the

Cancer Patient Support Fund.

Cancer Patient Support Fund offers the gift of assistance to

Cancer Patients in need.

Tournament flyers are available at London Downs, Alan B. Pearson Regional Cancer Center

and Volunteer Services at Lynchburg General Hospital and

Virginia Baptist Hospital. To obtain more information, please call

434.600.7531 or 434.660.1253.

Cancer Center Accreditation

 Centra Cancer Care Services has earned a three-year full accreditation with commendation as a comprehensive community cancer program from the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons. Only 25 percent of cancer care programs in the United States receive this recognition.

The Commission on Cancer accreditation recognizes the quality of comprehensive cancer care available at a facility and means that patients have access to the full scope of services required to diagnose, treat, rehabilitate and support patients with cancer and their families.

“Accreditation by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer validates the hard work that so many dedicated people do everyday,” said Matthew Foster, M.D., associate medical director, Cancer Care Services. “While it is always nice to be recognized as a top comprehensive community cancer center by the an organization which counts 1,500 cancer centers in their membership across the United States, we believe true validation of our efforts is in the experience we hope we can bring to the bedside or examination room when we care for the patients of we serve everyday.”

Only facilities that have voluntarily committed to provide the best in diagnosis and treatment of cancers receive approval from the Commission on Cancer. A rigorous evaluation process and performance review by the commission is necessary every three years to achieve and maintain accreditation.

For cancer patients and their families, Centra's approved cancer program means:
•  Quality care close to home
•  Comprehensive care offering a range of state-of-the-art services and equipment
•  A multidisciplinary, team approach to coordinate the best treatment options available to cancer patients
•  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
•  Information about ongoing clinical trials and new treatment options

“When a member of our community receives a diagnosis of cancer, they want to know that the procedures and treatments they will undergo will offer them the best possible outcome,” said Curt Baker, R.N., M.B.A., vice president, Cancer Care Services. “The American College of Surgeons, Commission on Cancer has developed comprehensive quality standards that ensure cancer programs are adhering to up-to-date protocols from diagnosis through survivorship. The process of achieving accreditation requires rigorous attention to detail in every aspect of the patient’s cancer journey and a commitment to the continuous quality improvement of the program. We are pleased to announce that Centra’s cancer program has received a three-year full accreditation with commendation.”

From the latest cancer-fighting technology to new state-of-the-art facilities and services, Centra offers cancer care for patients and their families throughout central Virginia. Centra's comprehensive cancer services and treatments range from the newest da Vinci Surgical System and Trilogy linear accelerator to chemotherapy, biological and targeted drug therapies to genetic testing and clinical trials. Centra treats a broad range of cancers, including lung, prostate, breast, brain, kidney, bladder, ovarian, lymphoma, leukemia, colon, uterine and rectal cancers as well as many others. In 2008, Centra opened the Alan B. Pearson Regional Cancer Center, which brought radiation and medical oncology into one facility, for patient convenience. Centra is one of approximately 1,500 Commission on Cancer approved cancer programs in the United States and Puerto Rico, representing close to one-quarter of all hospitals.

“By coming to an approved cancer treatment program,” according to the Commission on Cancer, “you can be sure that you will receive the best in diagnosis and treatment of cancer and that full consultative services will be available from all medical disciplines involved in diagnosing and treating cancer. And you can be sure that your condition will be watched carefully through a lifelong program of follow-up care.”

Centra also is the first healthcare system in the country to earn national STAR Program Certification for offering rehabilitation care for cancer survivors. In addition, Centra's comprehensive breast cancer program has recently earned a top national accreditation by The National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers.

Breast Cancer Program

Centra’s Comprehensive Breast Cancer Program has been awarded a Three-Year Full Accreditation, demonstrating our compliance with and commitment to all the standards established by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Cancers (NAPBC), an association of national, professional organizations dedicated to the improvement of the quality of care and the monitoring of outcomes for patients with diseases of the breast. All NAPBC accredited breast centers have undergone a rigorous application process and on-site survey.

Centra not only received accreditation by excelling in center leadership, clinical management, research, community outreach, professional education, and quality improvement, but several aspects of the breast program were highlighted. Our level of responsibility and accountability was emphasized, as well as our interdisciplinary breast cancer conference, patient navigation program, support and rehabilitation, educational resources, clinical trial information, and education, prevention and early detection programs. The NAPBC surveyor remarked, “The Centra comprehensive breast program is a true gem… The hallmark of the team is strong communication and state of the art clinical practice. The overall program is excellent with standouts that include the Pathology database with over 20 years of collected data, Dashboard reporting, the Image Recovery Center, Magnet Nursing Recognition, as well as the streamlined practice of coordinating patients from screening to diagnostic evaluation and biopsy with subsequent prospective multidisciplinary breast conference presentation.”

As one of the first centers to be nationally accredited three years ago, this accomplishment of re-accreditation shows continued quality improvement and dedication to a breast program that exceeds patient expectations and assures patients access to a full range of high level care and services.

Receiving care at a NAPBC-accredited breast center ensures that you will receive:

• available. A multidisciplinary, team approach to coordinate the best care and treatment options
• Access to breast cancer-related information, education, and support.
• Breast cancer data collection and monitoring of quality indicators for all subspecialties involved in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.
• Ongoing monitoring and improvement of care.
• Information about clinical trials and new treatment options

Recently diagnosed with Prostate Cancer?

Centra uses a multi-disciplinary approach towards treating prostate cancer. A patient and his family will meet with several members of the Centra Prostate Health Center team to determine the best approach to treat his disease. The Center's team has vast experience in the options available in the treatment of prostate cancer, with proven quality in outcomes equaling some of the best centers in the country.

Prostate Cancer Brochure