Baylor Plano Receives "Outstanding Achievement" Award from Commission on Cancer

One of Only Three Cancer Programs in Texas to Earn this National Recognition

Baylor Regional Medical Center was recently presented with the 2013 "Outstanding Achievement" Award by the American College of Surgeons' (ACS) Commission on Cancer (CoC).

Baylor Plano is one of only 74 U.S. health care facilities, and only 3 in the state, with accredited cancer programs to receive this national honor for surveys performed last year.  The award acknowledges cancer programs that achieve excellence in providing quality care to cancer patients.

"We are thrilled that the American College of Surgeons has once again recognized Baylor Plano's achievements in providing world-class comprehensive cancer care to the patients we serve," say Mark Engleman, MD, medical director of oncology and chair of the Oncology Advisory Board for Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano.

The Cancer Institute at Scott and White Memorial Hospital Temple – Central Texas, also a Baylor Scott & White Health program, is one of only two other Texas cancer programs in the select group earning "Outstanding Achievement" status in 2013. See the full list of winners.

The purpose of the award is to raise awareness on the importance of providing quality cancer care at healthcare institutions throughout the U.S.  In addition, it is intended to:

  • Motivate other cancer programs to work toward improving their level of care.
  • Facilitate dialogue between award recipients and healthcare professionals
  • at other cancer facilities for the purpose of sharing best practices.
  • Encourage honorees to serve as quality-care resources to other cancer programs.
  • Educate cancer patients on available quality-care options.

"More and more, we're finding that patients and their families want to know how the health care institutions in their communities compare with one another," says Daniel P. McKellar, MD, FACS, chair of the CoC. "They want access to information in terms of who's providing the best quality of care, and they want to know about overall patient outcomes. Through this recognition program, I'd like to think we're playing a small, but vital role, in helping them make informed decisions on their cancer care."

The award-winning, cancer-care programs represent approximately 14 percent of programs surveyed by the CoC in 2013.

"These 74 cancer programs currently represent the best of the best—so to speak—when it comes to cancer care," adds Dr. McKellar. "Each of these facilities is not just meeting nationally recognized standards for the delivery of quality cancer care, they are exceeding them."

Baylor Plano's cancer program was evaluated on 34 program standards categorized within one of five cancer program activity areas: cancer committee leadership, cancer data management, cancer conferences, clinical services and quality improvement.  The program was further evaluated on seven commendation standards.  To be eligible, all award recipients must have received commendation ratings in all seven commendation standards, in addition to receiving a compliance rating for each of the 34 other standards. 

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* based on unaudited fiscal year 2014 financial statements

MEDIA CONTACT:
Jennifer McDowell
Jennifer.McDowell@baylorhealth.edu
Office:  (214) 820-4581

About Baylor Scott & White Health
As the largest not-for-profit health system in the state of Texas, Baylor Scott & White promotes the health and well-being of every individual, family and community it serves. It is committed to making quality care more accessible, convenient and affordable through its integrated delivery network, which includes the Baylor Scott & White Health Plan, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, the Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance and its leading digital health platform – MyBSWHealth. Through 51 hospitals and more than 1,200 access points, including flagship academic medical centers in Dallas, Fort Worth and Temple, the system offers the full continuum of care, from primary to award-winning specialty care. Founded as a Christian ministry of healing more than a century ago, Baylor Scott & White today serves more than three million Texans. For more information, visit: BSWHealth.com