Local Oncology Practice Celebrates Quality Care
A year after earning the first ACR-ASTRO accreditation, WellSpring Oncology remains the only physician-owned, freestanding facility in the Tampa Bay area to have the quality seal and safety promise to their patients.
Tampa Bay, FL, June 24, 2012 --(PR.com)-- Maintaining a National Standard of Excellence
One year later, how a local oncology group is keeping patient safety first
One local cancer facility is setting the standard in both quality and safety in radiation oncology. WellSpring Oncology is the first and only cancer practice in Pinellas County to receive radiation oncology accreditation from the American College of Radiology (ACR) and The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO). For the physicians, it is more than a coveted seal, it represents a promise to every patient.
“We have to earn the right to carry this accreditation every day,” explains Robert Miller, M.D., Board Certified radiation oncologist at WellSpring Oncology. “This is about maintaining and improving on the national benchmarks set by our peers.” Dr. Miller along with Zucel Solc, M.D., Frank Franzese, M.D., Debra Freeman, M.D. and Craig Miercort, M.D. appreciate the importance this recognition has to cancer patients in Pinellas County.
“Our patients are, and always have been, our top priority,” says Dr. Franzese. “We don't have to be accredited to be operational. But we are because it means we're going above and beyond in the care of every single person who walks through our doors.” WellSpring Oncology remains the only physician-owned, freestanding facility in the Tampa Bay area to have the ACR-ASTRO accreditation.
What it Takes
The accreditation process can take up to nine months with routine and detailed peer-reviews by Board Certified radiation oncologists and medical physicists done on-site. “It's not just the oncologists who are under the microscope,” explains Kent Larsen, Ph.D., Board Certified medical physicist at WellSpring Oncology. “The entire team is held responsible for quality assurance and top capabilities. We all have a hand in setting and exceeding the highest criteria of cancer care.”
During the review process, WellSpring Oncology was judged on the following:
- Accuracy in patients' charts, including medical information, quality of documentation and case management
- Calibration of all machines and radiation safety measures
- Radiation therapists-to-patient ratio to ensure proper patient safety
- Review of all processes and work flow within the facility including:
- Radiation Safety Program: Ensures quality check for physicists and safety measurements for equipment
- Quality Assurance and Improvement Program: Confirms the facility is continuously updating all measures for improvement and education
- Peer-to-Peer Review Program: Certifies every treatment plan is reviewed by every physician to maintain proper standard of treatment and management
WellSpring Oncology was also the first to bring TomoTherapy to Pinellas County, and TomoDirect, an upgraded radiation modality, to Florida. The facility was also the first to bring high-end radiosurgery to the Tampa Bay area with the introduction of CyberKnife. Since earning the impressive accreditation last year, WellSpring Oncology has been evaluated on patient care, treatment and safety, personnel qualifications, adequacy of facility equipment, quality control procedures and quality assurance programs by representatives of the ACR-ASTRO Committee on Radiation Oncology.
“We're in a constant state of advancing, as is the cancer care field. Our goal as physicians is to become better than we were yesterday,” Dr. Solc explains. “It's part of our mission to wellness.”
About The American College of Radiology (ACR):
The American College of Radiology is a national professional organization serving more than 34,000 diagnostic/interventional radiologists, radiation oncologists, nuclear medicine physicians and medical physicists with programs focusing on the practice of medical imaging and radiation oncology and the delivery of comprehensive health care services.
About The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO):
Radiation oncologists, medical physicists, dosimetrists, radiation therapists, radiation oncology nurses and nurse practitioners, biologists, physician assistants and practice administrators comprise ASTRO’s nearly 10,000 members, making it the largest radiation oncology organization of its kind. These medical professionals, found at hospitals, cancer treatment centers and academic research facilities around the globe, make up the radiation therapy treatment teams that are critical in the fight against cancer. Together, these teams treat more than 1 million cancer patients each year.
About WellSpring Oncology:
Doctors Robert Miller, Zucel Solc and Frank Franzese opened the doors of WellSpring Oncology in the spring of 2008 to provide high-end treatment in a more personal and caring environment. The doctors at WellSpring Oncology have been practicing innovative radiation therapy since the 1970’s and developed the center to ensure patients have access to the latest technology available in the treatment of cancer. The doctors of WellSpring Oncology are all Board Certified in radiation oncology and received their training at the top centers in the country, including MD Anderson, Memorial Sloan Kettering and The University of California, San Francisco. WellSpring Oncology is located at 6600 Sixty Sixth Street North in Pinellas Park, Florida.
For more information or to make an appointment, contact WellSpring Oncology at (727) 343-0600 or visit them online at www.WellSpringOncology.org.
One year later, how a local oncology group is keeping patient safety first
One local cancer facility is setting the standard in both quality and safety in radiation oncology. WellSpring Oncology is the first and only cancer practice in Pinellas County to receive radiation oncology accreditation from the American College of Radiology (ACR) and The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO). For the physicians, it is more than a coveted seal, it represents a promise to every patient.
“We have to earn the right to carry this accreditation every day,” explains Robert Miller, M.D., Board Certified radiation oncologist at WellSpring Oncology. “This is about maintaining and improving on the national benchmarks set by our peers.” Dr. Miller along with Zucel Solc, M.D., Frank Franzese, M.D., Debra Freeman, M.D. and Craig Miercort, M.D. appreciate the importance this recognition has to cancer patients in Pinellas County.
“Our patients are, and always have been, our top priority,” says Dr. Franzese. “We don't have to be accredited to be operational. But we are because it means we're going above and beyond in the care of every single person who walks through our doors.” WellSpring Oncology remains the only physician-owned, freestanding facility in the Tampa Bay area to have the ACR-ASTRO accreditation.
What it Takes
The accreditation process can take up to nine months with routine and detailed peer-reviews by Board Certified radiation oncologists and medical physicists done on-site. “It's not just the oncologists who are under the microscope,” explains Kent Larsen, Ph.D., Board Certified medical physicist at WellSpring Oncology. “The entire team is held responsible for quality assurance and top capabilities. We all have a hand in setting and exceeding the highest criteria of cancer care.”
During the review process, WellSpring Oncology was judged on the following:
- Accuracy in patients' charts, including medical information, quality of documentation and case management
- Calibration of all machines and radiation safety measures
- Radiation therapists-to-patient ratio to ensure proper patient safety
- Review of all processes and work flow within the facility including:
- Radiation Safety Program: Ensures quality check for physicists and safety measurements for equipment
- Quality Assurance and Improvement Program: Confirms the facility is continuously updating all measures for improvement and education
- Peer-to-Peer Review Program: Certifies every treatment plan is reviewed by every physician to maintain proper standard of treatment and management
WellSpring Oncology was also the first to bring TomoTherapy to Pinellas County, and TomoDirect, an upgraded radiation modality, to Florida. The facility was also the first to bring high-end radiosurgery to the Tampa Bay area with the introduction of CyberKnife. Since earning the impressive accreditation last year, WellSpring Oncology has been evaluated on patient care, treatment and safety, personnel qualifications, adequacy of facility equipment, quality control procedures and quality assurance programs by representatives of the ACR-ASTRO Committee on Radiation Oncology.
“We're in a constant state of advancing, as is the cancer care field. Our goal as physicians is to become better than we were yesterday,” Dr. Solc explains. “It's part of our mission to wellness.”
About The American College of Radiology (ACR):
The American College of Radiology is a national professional organization serving more than 34,000 diagnostic/interventional radiologists, radiation oncologists, nuclear medicine physicians and medical physicists with programs focusing on the practice of medical imaging and radiation oncology and the delivery of comprehensive health care services.
About The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO):
Radiation oncologists, medical physicists, dosimetrists, radiation therapists, radiation oncology nurses and nurse practitioners, biologists, physician assistants and practice administrators comprise ASTRO’s nearly 10,000 members, making it the largest radiation oncology organization of its kind. These medical professionals, found at hospitals, cancer treatment centers and academic research facilities around the globe, make up the radiation therapy treatment teams that are critical in the fight against cancer. Together, these teams treat more than 1 million cancer patients each year.
About WellSpring Oncology:
Doctors Robert Miller, Zucel Solc and Frank Franzese opened the doors of WellSpring Oncology in the spring of 2008 to provide high-end treatment in a more personal and caring environment. The doctors at WellSpring Oncology have been practicing innovative radiation therapy since the 1970’s and developed the center to ensure patients have access to the latest technology available in the treatment of cancer. The doctors of WellSpring Oncology are all Board Certified in radiation oncology and received their training at the top centers in the country, including MD Anderson, Memorial Sloan Kettering and The University of California, San Francisco. WellSpring Oncology is located at 6600 Sixty Sixth Street North in Pinellas Park, Florida.
For more information or to make an appointment, contact WellSpring Oncology at (727) 343-0600 or visit them online at www.WellSpringOncology.org.
Contact
WellSpring Oncology
Shelly Webb
980-621-4211
www.WellSpringOncology.org
Shelly Webb
980-621-4211
www.WellSpringOncology.org
Contact
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