Good Samaritan Hospital Earns Nation Accreditation from the Commission on Cancer

The Commission on Cancer (CoC), a quality program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) has granted another Three-Year Accreditation to the cancer program at Good Samaritan Hospital, a member of Catholic Health, making this the 6th survey it has earned this honor, for a total of 18 years. To earn voluntary CoC accreditation, a cancer program must meet 34 CoC quality care standards, be evaluated every 3 years through a survey process, and maintain levels of excellence in the delivery of comprehensive patient-centered care.  

As a CoC-accredited cancer program, Good Samaritan employs 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.  

“The Cancer Institute at Good Samaritan Hospital provides the residents of Suffolk County advance diagnostic and treatment procedures and incredible outcomes, while offering an unmatched level of care and compassion for our patients,” said Good Samaritan Hospital President Ruth E. Hennessey. “I would like to congratulate this amazing team for their work and commitment to patient experience.”   

The CoC Accreditation Program provides the framework for Good Samaritan to improve its 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 information on clinical trials and new treatments, genetic counseling, and patient centered services including psycho-social support, a patient navigation process, and a survivorship care plan that documents the care each patient receives and seeks to improve cancer survivors’ quality of life. Through a Catholic Health partnership with Roswell Park Cancer Institute, clinical trials for most major cancer types are offered at Good Samaritan.  For more information about our open clinical trials, please email us at oncologyclinicaltrials@chsli.org.

Like all CoC-accredited facilities, Good Samaritan 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