Cancer Center of Acadiana Earns National Accreditation with Commendation

The Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons (ACoS) has granted Three-Year Accreditation with Commendation to Cancer Center of Acadiana (CCA) at Lafayette General. To earn voluntary CoC accreditation, a cancer program must meet or exceed 34 CoC quality care standards, be evaluated every three years through a survey process and maintain levels of excellence in the delivery of comprehensive patient-centered care. Three-Year Accreditation with Commendation is only awarded to a facility that exceeds standard requirements at the time of its triennial survey. For their most recent survey, CCA received all eligible commendations, earning the gold rating, the highest rating awarded to any oncology program.

To earn its CoC accreditation, CCA takes 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, such as surgical oncologists and pulmonologists in a specialized Lung Mass Clinic. This multidisciplinary approach results in improved patient care.

“Our patients have access to the same treatments offered at world-renowned facilities, only closer to home,” says Craig Ortego, Vice President of Cancer Services at Lafayette General.
Lafayette General Health President David L. Callecod, FACHE, adds, “This accreditation is the result of our intention to make Cancer Center of Acadiana a unique experience with superb care.”

The CoC Accreditation Program provides the framework for CCA to improve its quality of patient care. Various cancer-related programs 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. Patients at a CoC facility also have access to clinical trials, new treatments, genetic counseling and patient-centered services including psycho-social support, a patient navigator and a survivorship plan to improve quality of life.

Like all CoC-accredited facilities, CCA maintains a cancer registry and contributes data to the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB), a joint program of the CoC and American Cancer Society (ACS). 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 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 Facs.org/cancer.

CCA celebrated its new accreditation with a ceremony today in the main lobby of LGMC with staff, physicians, coworkers and health system administrators present.

Lafayette General Medical Center has maintained accreditation with the Commission on Cancer since 1993. When cancer patients choose to seek care locally at a CoC-accredited cancer center, they are gaining access to comprehensive, state-of-the-art cancer care close to home.

Cancer Center of Acadiana (CCA) is a cancer treatment network with multiple locations across Acadiana. CCA opened its doors at Lafayette General Medical Center on July 6, 2010. This November, CCA opened its newest location in Opelousas, in addition to its second Lafayette location at University Hospital & Clinics with other locations in Mamou, Crowley, Abbeville and New Iberia.

CCA staffs a multidisciplinary team of experienced professionals, including Medical Oncologists/Hematologists, experienced certified oncology nurses, Gynecological Oncologist, breast fellowship-trained Interventional Radiologists, oncology certified dietician, PhD-trained genetic counselor, patient educator, patient navigator and PhD-trained Psychologist. Clinical trials, advanced treatments, genetic testing, a Breast Center, Lung Mass Center and several other patient-centered services are also available at CCA.