Albany Medical Center Earns Three-Year National Accreditation for Cancer Care Services
Albany Medical Center’s Cancer Care Program has received a three-year accreditation from the Commission on Cancer, a quality program of the American College of Surgeons that holds cancer treatment programs to the highest standards of care.
As an accredited cancer care center, Albany Medical Center offers patients numerous benefits that include a team approach to care, state-of-the-art services and equipment, and information about clinical trials and new treatment options.
During the accreditation process, the Commission on Cancer examines the entire scope, organization, and activity of a cancer care program. To receive accreditation, a program must meet 34 Commission on Cancer quality care standards, be evaluated every three years through a survey process, and maintain levels of excellence in the delivery of comprehensive, patient-centered care.
“We are very pleased to have received this accreditation from the American College of Surgeons,” said Dennis P. McKenna, MD, president and CEO of the Albany Med Health System. “Their mission mirrors our own, which is to improve the overall care and quality of life of cancer patients. To see the hard work of so many clinicians and caregivers being recognized is very affirming.”
The Albany Med Health System treats more than 6,300 patients annually for cancer, providing access to a broad range of services including screening and testing, care coordination, access to trials, and expert medical and surgical programs. Each hospital provides a full range of care for various cancers, including breast and prostate. In addition to comprehensive services offered at Albany Medical Center, Glens Falls Hospital and Saratoga Hospital also have cancer programs accredited by the Commission on Cancer. Glens Falls Hospital’s C.R. Wood Cancer Center has been accredited since 1987, and Saratoga Hospital’s cancer program, which includes the Saratoga Hospital Medical Group - Oncology/Hematology and the Mollie Wilmot Radiation Oncology Center, has been accredited since 2011. Columbia Memorial Health offers screenings, imaging services, and medical and surgical therapies for many cancer types. Nationally accredited since 1938, Albany Medical Center’s cancer program is one of the oldest in the country.
The American Cancer Society estimates that more than 1.9 million new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in 2022. There are currently more than 1,500 cancer programs accredited by the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. These facilities diagnose and/or treat more than 70 percent of all newly diagnosed patients with cancer. When cancer patients choose to seek care locally at a cancer center accredited by the commission, they are gaining access to comprehensive, state-of-the-art cancer care close to home. The American College of Surgeons provides the public with information on the resources, services, and cancer treatment experience for each of its accredited cancer programs through the Commission of Cancer Hospital Locator.