Kings County Hospital has received a nationally-recognized accreditation from the Commission on Cancer (CoC) for its Cancer Care Center, the Flatbush hospital announced on Tuesday.
The CoC is 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. To earn the accreditation, a cancer program must meet 34 CoC quality care standards, be evaluated every three years through a rigorous survey process and maintain levels of excellence in the delivery of comprehensive patient-centered care.
Kings County Hospital ascribes its success in cancer care to its multidisciplinary approach, which includes the expertise of surgeons, pathologists, oncologists, radiation therapists, nurses and social workers, to customize treatment for each patient, hospital officials said.
"Our oncologists are doubly boarded and have trained in the premier institutions in the United States," said Michele Follen, MD, chair of the Cancer Committee at NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County. "This nationally esteemed accreditation is a reflection of the ongoing commitment from our hospital's medical staff. Having our standards of care reviewed favorably by the American College of Surgeons is indicative of the quality we deliver."
The Cancer Care Center opened in 2010 to provide a variety of cancer care services in one centralized facility, including medical and surgical oncology, chemotherapy, pharmacy, nutrition and social services, which previously were spread out across multiple locations throughout the hospital campus.
The CoC Accreditation Program creates a framework for the hospital to provide continuous improvement of various cancer-related programs including prevention, early diagnosis, cancer staging, treatment, rehabilitation and end-of-life care, officials said.
Patients who receive care at a CoC facility like Kings County Hospital also have access to clinical trials and new treatments, genetic counseling and services such as psycho-social support, a patient navigation process and a survivorship care plan.
"We have embarked on a journey to provide the highest quality and up-to-date cancer care to our community," said Steven Pulitzer, MD, chief medical officer at NYC Health +Hospitals/Kings County. "This is an exciting time in medical oncology as individualized treatments based on patient genomics has revolutionized treatment planning for certain cancers. Our patients receive university-level care at our facility — regardless of their ability to pay for treatment."
The Cancer Care Center provides cancer care for approximately 10,753 patients annually. To learn more about the center, call or 718-245-2847 or go here.
