Taylor Regional Hospital Honored by the
Commission on Cancer

July 28, 2005 -- Cancer care at Taylor Regional Hospital has just taken an "official" step forward. 

The Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons has granted its "Three-year Approval with Commendation" to the cancer program at Taylor Regional Hospital.  The award was granted to only 39 of 1,440 cancer programs nationwide, two of which are located in Kentucky.

Established by the American College of Surgeons in 1932, the approvals program sets standards for cancer programs and reviews the programs to make sure they conform to those standards.

Hospital CEO Jane Wheatley said the recognition is a testament to the care that TRH staff provides to their patients.  "With the addition of additional treatment options to our campus, we are continuing to expand the scope of cancer services available to the people of our region," she said. "Our goal is to continue to expand as a leading regional provider of cancer treatment services and this award certainly reinforces that commitment."

In addition to meeting the basic standards of the commission's approvals program, TRH also excelled in seven areas where commendation was awarded.

TRH has had a certified cancer program since 1996 and recently opened a comprehensive cancer treatment center. The cancer program was recertified in 2004 with seven commendations.  "The medical staff has been working with the Taylor Regional administration for a number of years to continually improve the clinical effectiveness of our cancer program," said Dr. Eugene Shively, cancer liaison physician.  "In addition to being an honor for the medical staff and team members at Taylor Regional, this award demonstrates that the cancer treatment program in our community is among the best in the nation."

Recognizing that cancer is a complex group of diseases, the approvals program promotes consultation among surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, diagnostic radiologists, pathologists and other cancer specialists.  Receiving care at a Commission on Cancer approved cancer program ensures that a patient will have access to:

• Quality care close to home

• Comprehensive care offering a range of state-of-the art services and equipment

• A multi-specialty team approach to coordinate the best treatment options available to cancer patients

• Information about cancer clinical trials, new treatment options, education and support

• Lifelong patient follow-up through a cancer registry that collects data on type and stage of cancers and treatment results

• Ongoing monitoring and improvement of care.

Approval by the Commission on Cancer is given only to those facilities that have voluntarily committed to provide the best in diagnosis and treatment of cancer and to undergo a rigorous evaluation process and a review of its performance. In order to maintain approval, facilities with approved cancer programs must undergo an on-site review every three years.

The American Cancer Society estimates that more than 1.3 million cases of cancer will be diagnosed in 2005.

The Commission on Cancer is composed of Fellows of the American College of Surgeons and other members representing national cancer-related organizations. It also sets standards for cancer registry data collection used by all approved cancer programs. Postgraduate courses, symposia and programs about cancer are developed by the commission for health care professionals involved in cancer care.

Working with the American Cancer Society, the Cancer Liaison Program of the Commission on Cancer is supported by more than 1,600 voluntary liaison physicians who support cancer-control initiatives and the cancer program activities locally.

The commission also tracks national, regional and local cancer care patterns and trends through the National Cancer Database, another joint project with the American Cancer Society. In addition, the commission conducts national quality management and improvement studies for specific cancer sites. Results of these studies are used by cancer program leadership to monitor and improve patient care.