Memorial’s Cancer Services Earn Third Consecutive Outstanding Achievement Award

Savannah, GA, May 15, 2013 --(PR.com)-- The Curtis and Elizabeth Anderson Cancer Institute (ACI) at Memorial University Medical Center has again received an Outstanding Achievement Award from The Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons. The 2012 award was given to only 79 cancer programs throughout the United States. The ACI is the only facility in Savannah to receive the Outstanding Achievement Award and one of only three hospitals recognized in the state of Georgia. This is the third consecutive survey period in which the ACI has earned Outstanding Achievement.

“To earn the Outstanding Achievement Award, we had to meet or exceed national benchmarks for quality cancer care. We also had to demonstrate a ‘Commendation’ level of compliance for cancer committee leadership, data management, clinical management, research, community outreach, and quality improvement. This was all reviewed during a rigorous on-site survey,” said Guy Petruzzelli, M.D., Ph.D., MBA, FACS, vice president and physician-in-chief at the ACI.

Commission on Cancer accreditation is conducted every three years. The ACI also earned the Outstanding Achievement Award in 2006 and 2009.

The 79 award-winning cancer programs represent approximately 19 percent of programs surveyed in 2012. The Commission on Cancer’s Outstanding Achievement Award was established in 2004 to recognize cancer programs that truly strive for excellence in patient care. For information about the program’s standards and criteria, visit facs.org/cancer. To learn more about the ACI, visit aci.memorialhealth.com.

The 1,500 Commission on Cancer-accredited programs in the U.S. and Puerto Rico represent close to 30 percent of all hospitals. This 30 percent cares for 80 percent of newly diagnosed cancer patients each year.

Established in 1922 by the American College of Surgeons, the CoC is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival rates and quality of life for cancer patients through standard setting, prevention, research, education, and the monitoring of comprehensive, quality care.

Memorial University Medical Center is a two-state healthcare organization serving a 35-county area in southeast Georgia and southern South Carolina. The system includes its flagship hospital, a 610-bed academic medical center; Memorial primary and specialty physician networks; a major medical education program; business and industry services; and NurseOne, a 24-hour call center. To learn more, visit www.memorialhealth.com.