HOUSTON (February 06, 2009)

The American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (CoC) has granted a three-year approval with Commendation to the Community Hospital Cancer Program at Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital.

"Accreditation by the Commission on Cancer is a testament to the strength of our cancer program and illustrates the scope and caliber of services we provide to patients close to home," said George Gaston, CEO of Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital. "We earned this accreditation with Outstanding Achievement by securing all commendations - quite an accomplishment for our first survey."

The Commission on Cancer was established by the American College of Surgeons in 1922 and is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival rates and quality of life for cancer patients. Currently, only one in four hospitals in the United States and Puerto Rico has earned CoC accreditation. Accreditation is granted only to those facilities that commit to providing the highest level of quality cancer care and are willing to undergo a rigorous evaluation process and review of their performance.

In order to earn accreditation, the Cancer Program at Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital must provide:

  • Comprehensive care, including a range of state-of-the-art services and equipment
  • Multi-specialty team approach to coordinate the best treatment options• Information about ongoing clinical trials and new treatment options
  • Access to cancer-related information, education and support
  • Cancer registry that collects data on type and stage of cancers and treatment results and offers lifelong patient follow-up
  • Ongoing monitoring and improvement of care
  • Quality care close to home

To maintain accreditation, facilities with CoC-approved cancer programs must undergo an on-site review every three years.

The Cancer Program at Memorial Hermann Southeast treats all types of cancers and specializes in breast, colon, gynecological, lung, brain and prostate cancers. It provides state-of-the-art treatment options for patients, including MammoSite® Targeted Radiation Therapy, High-Dose Radiation (HDR) Brachytherapy, radiation oncology, clinical trials and more. For additional information on the Cancer Program and Cancer Center at Memorial Hermann Southeast, call (713) 222-CARE.