Memorial Cancer Institute Receives National Achievement Award

Hollywood, FL, July 12, 2013 --(PR.com)-- The Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) has granted its 2012 Outstanding Achievement Award to Memorial Cancer Institute. Award criteria were based on qualitative and quantitative surveys conducted last year, and the Memorial Cancer Institute was among a select group of 79 accredited cancer programs throughout the United States that received this prestigious award.

“It’s a true honor to receive this award,” said Luis E. Raez, MD, Medical Director, Memorial Cancer Institute. “I’m very proud of our cancer team and the commitment they have to our community, which is evident in the caliber of care they provide to our patients daily.”

The 79 award winning, cancer-care programs represent approximately 19 percent of programs surveyed by the CoC in 2012. A majority of recipients are community-based facilities. However, teaching hospitals, National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, Veterans Administration hospitals, and Network Cancer Programs also received this year’s award. The purpose of the award is to raise the bar on quality cancer care, with the ultimate goal of increasing awareness about quality care choices among cancer patients and their loved ones. The award also intends to recognize cancer programs that achieve excellence in providing quality care to cancer patients; facilitate communication between award recipients and healthcare professionals and encourage honorees to serve as quality-care resources to other cancer programs.

The awards comes a year after Memorial Cancer Institute earned a “Three-Year Accreditation with Commendation” from the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer (CoC) in 2012. The CoC accreditation is nationally recognized by the American Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute, and other organizations as having established industry-standard performance measures for high-quality cancer care.

About the American College of Surgeons

The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and improve the quality of care for surgical patients. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has more than 79,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world.

Memorial Cancer Institute’s multidisciplinary approach to cancer care means that patients have a whole team of cancer specialists on their side. From highly trained physicians to skilled and compassionate nurses, therapists, technicians, social workers and support staff, each member of the team is a highly trained specialist in his or her field. Memorial Cancer Institute has locations at both Memorial Regional Hospital and Memorial Hospital West.