Commission on Cancer Outstanding Achievement Award

Mercy Medical Center’s Community Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Program has received an Outstanding Achievement Award from The Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons.

Only six hospitals in New York State, and two on Long Island, received the honor based on assessments made in 2010.

It was based on an on-site survey that resulted in Mercy's Community Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Program receiving Accreditation with Commendation from the Commission. That designation demonstrates that Mercy meets the highest national standards for state-of-the-art cancer prevention, early diagnosis, pretreatment evaluation, staging, optimal treatment, rehabilitation, surveillance for recurrent disease, support services, and end-of-life care.

The Outstanding Achievement Award further recognizes Mercy for Commendation-level compliance with seven standards that represent six areas of cancer program activity: cancer committee leadership, cancer data management, clinical management, research, community outreach and quality improvement.

Among the hospitals across the country that were surveyed in 2010, only 90 cancer programs, fewer than one out of five surveyed, met the criteria for the Award.

Mercy has held accreditation from the Commission on Cancer continuously for four decades.

Mercy Medical Center's Community Comprehensive Cancer Care Program is designed to meet the needs of patients and families dealing with all phases of cancer, from diagnosis to treatment and survivorship. Mercy provides cancer care in collaboration with Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, which has been providing state-of-the-art outpatient medical and radiation oncology services at Mercy since 1997.

Designation as one of only two Commission on Cancer-approved Community Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Programs in Nassau County means that Mercy sees 650 or more newly diagnosed cancer cases each year, provides a full range of diagnostic and treatment services that are available on site or by referral, and has a program medical staff whose members are board certified in the major medical specialties, including oncology where available.

Established in 1922 by the American College of Surgeons, the Commission on Cancer is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival rates and quality of life for cancer patients through standard-setting, prevention, research, education, an the monitoring of comprehensive, quality care. Accreditation by the Commission on Cancer is given only to facilities that have voluntarily committed to providing the highest level of quality cancer care and that undergo a rigorous evaluation process and review of their performance.