Centra, Alan B. Pearson Regional Cancer Center

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.

"This accreditation is a testament to the excellence of Centra's quality across a broad range of cancer services," said Matthew Foster, M.D., who is chairman of the Centra Cancer Committee. "We know patients look for accredited programs when they are seeking the best possible care for their cancer."

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

"We have added many new services as well as new technology to our cancer care services over the past few years," said Curt Baker, Centra vice president of cancer care services, "and we know our cancer care ranks high compared to other centers."

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 health care 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 earned a top national accreditation by The National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers.

For more information about Centra Cancer Care Services or the Centra Alan B. Pearson Regional Cancer Center, call 434.200.4730.

Centra's comprehensive breast cancer program has earned a top national accreditation from The National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), and it is the first cancer service in central, southside and western Virginia to earn this honor.

"The accreditation is a tangible symbol of the quality of our breast cancer services," said Curt Baker, Centra vice president of cancer care services, "and we are extremely proud to earn this honor."

The accreditation ensures that patients who receive care at a NAPBC-accredited center, according to the NAPBC, have access to:

• Comprehensive care, including a full range of state-of-the-art services
• A multidisciplinary team approach to coordinate the best treatment options
• Information about ongoing clinical trials and new treatment options

To gain accreditation, Centra cancer care services had to undergo a rigorous application process and on-site survey to assure that NAPBC standards are being met. Centra had to meet 27 program standards, and received a perfect score on all 27.

The standards include proficiency in the areas of center leadership, clinical management, research, community outreach, professional education and quality improvement. "A breast center that achieves NAPBC accreditation has demonstrated a firm commitment to offer its patients every significant advantage in their battle against breast cancer," according to the NAPBC.

The certification process touched a broad range of breast cancer services including oncology support services, breast imaging, radiation oncology, medical oncology, breast surgery, pathology, inpatient hospital care, oncology breast navigators and clinical trials.

As an accredited breast center, Centra also agreed to maintain its high level of clinical care with recertification by the NAPBC required every three years.

The National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers is a consortium 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.

For more information, please visit www.CentraHealth.com or www.accreditedbreastcenters.org.