The Commission on Cancer (CoC), a quality program of the American College
of Surgeons, has granted three-year Accreditation with Commendation to
the cancer program at Celilo Cancer Center at Mid-Columbia Medical Center
(MCMC). To earn this high distinction, a cancer program must meet or exceed
the CoC quality care standards, be evaluated every three years through
an intense survey process, and maintain levels of excellence in the delivery
of comprehensive, patient-centered care.
As part of its philosophy of care, Celilo Cancer Center 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. This multidisciplinary
partnership results in improved patient care and is central to earning
the CoC accreditation.
“Celilo Cancer Center at Mid-Columbia Medical Center provides high-quality,
compassionate cancer care by a team of specially trained physicians and
other health professionals who utilize the latest technologies and treatments,”
said Serene Perkins, M.D., chief medical officer at MCMC. “We are
honored by this national designation and are proud to serve our community
by offering exceptional cancer care right here in the Columbia River Gorge.”
The CoC accreditation program provides the framework for Celilo Cancer
Center to enhance its quality of patient care through various cancer-related
programs that focus on the full spectrum of care including prevention,
early diagnosis, cancer staging, optimal treatment, rehabilitation, lifelong
followup 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.
Like all CoC-accredited facilities, Celilo Cancer Center maintains a cancer
registry and contributes data to the National Cancer Database, a joint
program of the CoC and American Cancer Society. This nationwide outcomes
database is the largest such registry in the world and tracks and analyzes
all types of cancer to explore trends in cancer care. CoC-accredited cancer
centers, in tum, 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, such as Celilo Cancer Center,
with their quality improvement efforts.
To learn more about Celilo Cancer Center at MCMC, visit
www.mcmc.net/our-services/cancer-care/ or call 541-296-7585.