ACS Reapproves Cancer

Program At Danbury Hospital

DANBURY –– The Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons (ACoS) has granted reapproval to the cancer program at Danbury Hospital, where the Praxair Cancer Center received the highest possible score in all sections of a September 2003 review of its oncology services to support patients and their families.

 The three-year designation places Danbury Hospital in the of top quartile of nearly 1,200 approved hospitals in the ACoS’s Teaching Hospital Cancer Program. With its mission to provide comprehensive services efficiently and with compassion and concern for patient well-being, the Praxair Cancer Center continues the Danbury tradition of continuous approved status with the ACoS Commission on Cancer of more than two decades, according to John Pezzimenti, MD, director of cancer medicine and chief, hematology/oncology, and Patrice Hough, RN, manager of the Praxair Cancer Center at Danbury Hospital.

Established by the American College of Surgeons in 1932, the approvals program sets standards for cancer programs and reviews the programs to ensure they conform to those standards. Recognizing that cancer is a complex group of diseases, the program promotes consultation among surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, diagnostic radiologists, pathologists, and other cancer specialists. This multidisciplinary cooperation –– strongly evident in the work of the Praxair Cancer Center’s seven tumor boards (cancer case review committees) –– results in improved patient care.

Receiving care at a Commission on Cancer approved cancer program ensures that a patient will have access to quality care close to home; comprehensive care offering a range of state-of-the-art services and equipment; a multispecialty team approach to coordinate the best treatment options available to cancer patients; cancer clinical trials, education and support; lifelong patient follow-up through a cancer registry that collects data on type and stage of cancers and treatment results; and ongoing monitoring and improvement of care.

According to John Borruso, MD, board-certified surgeon and Danbury Hospital’s ACoS Cancer program liaison for the last 15 years, approval by the Commission on Cancer is given only to those facilities that have voluntarily committed to provide the best in diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

“This year, we received the best rating possible in every category of the review. We have subjected ourselves to a rigorous evaluation process and an on-site review of our performance in order to gain this status, which is achieved by only one in four of our nation’s hospitals,” Dr Borruso said. “More than 80 percent of the 1.2 million people diagnosed with cancer this year will be treated by these facilities, and we are proud of the Danbury team that offers this advanced level of care to the people of Connecticut and nearby New York State.”

For cancer information and support, log on to Danbury Hospital’s website at www.danburyhospital.org and click on “Cancer” or call 800-850-5079.