South Nassau's Cancer Program Earns Prestigious Award from ACS Commission on Cancer

March 30, 2010 - PRLog -- South Nassau Communities Hospital’s Cancer Program has been named a recipient of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Commission on Cancer (CoC) Outstanding Achievement Award.  South Nassau is one of just five hospitals in New York and only 82 in the United States to receive the prestigious award.

In February, Shahriyour Andaz, MD, FACS, South Nassau’s director of thoracic oncology, was one of just 36 of the more than 1,600 physicians in the U.S. serving as Cancer Liaison Physicians to the CoC to receive its prestigious Outstanding Performance Award.

“This award is a testament to our commitment to provide a cancer care program that combines an experienced team of oncologists and staff with leading-edge medical and cancer treatment technologies so that the residents of the communities we serve do not have to leave their neighborhood to access standard-setting cancer care” said Joseph A. Quagliata, president and CEO of South Nassau.

“South Nassau’s Comprehensive Cancer Program features a multi-disciplinary team of accomplished medical, radiation, and surgical oncologists.  They work together and use advanced diagnostic, medical, radiation, and surgical oncology technologies and treatments to treat a wide range of cancers,” added Rajiv Datta, MD, medical director of the cancer program and chief of surgical oncology at South Nassau.

Established in 2004, the CoC Outstanding Achievement Award is designed to recognize cancer programs that strive for excellence in providing quality care to cancer patients. A facility receives the award following an on-site evaluation by a physician surveyor, during which time the facility demonstrates a Commendation level of compliance with seven standards that represent the full scope of the cancer program (cancer committee leadership, cancer data management, clinical services, research, community outreach, and quality improvement).  OAA recipients represent community-based facilities; teaching hospitals; National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers and Network Cancer Programs as well as both newly accredited programs and those that are currently accredited by the Commission on Cancer.

Through an exclusive partnership with the American Cancer Society, the CoC provides the public with information on the resources, services, and cancer treatment experience for each CoC-accredited cancer program. This information is shared with the public on the ACS Web site at www.cancer.org and through the ACS National Cancer Information Center at 1-800-ACS-2345.

The American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer was founded in 1922.  It is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival and quality of life for cancer patients through standard-setting, prevention, research, education, and the monitoring of comprehensive quality care.  Its membership includes Fellows of the American College of Surgeons and representatives of 47 national organizations that reflect the full spectrum of cancer care.  The CoC’s core functions include setting standards for quality, multidisciplinary cancer patient care; surveying facilities to evaluate compliance with the CoC standards; collecting standardized, high-quality data from accredited facilities; and using the data to develop effective educational interventions to improve cancer care outcomes at the national, state, and local level.

South Nassau’s Cancer Program and Cancer Center in Valley Stream incorporate the following specialty cancer care services:
•   South Nassau’s GYN Oncology Department (Valley Stream)  
•   South Nassau’s Long Island Gamma Knife® Center (Oceanside)
•   South Nassau’s Center for Prostate Health Program (Oceanside)
•   South Nassau’s Center for Breast Health (Oceanside)
•   South Nassau’s Center for Lung Health (Oceanside/Valley Stream)
•   South Nassau’s Radiation Oncology Department (Oceanside and Valley Stream)
•   South Nassau’s Surgical Oncology Department (Oceanside and Valley Stream)
•   Complete Women’s Imaging Center (Oceanside)
•   South Nassau’s PET/CT Service (Oceanside)

To schedule a consultation or for more information about South Nassau’s Cancer Program, call 1-877-SouthNassau, or visit southnassau.org.

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South Nassau Communities Hospital is one of the region’s largest hospitals, with 435 beds, more than 875 physicians and 2,600 employees. Located in Oceanside, NY, the hospital is an acute-care, not-for-profit teaching hospital that provides state-of-the-art care in cardiac, oncologic, orthopedic, bariatric, pain management, mental health and emergency services. In addition to its extensive outpatient specialty centers, South Nassau boasts Long Island’s first and only Gamma Knifeâ and provides emergency and elective angioplasty. South Nassau is a designated Stroke Center by the New York State Department of Health and Comprehensive Community Cancer Center by the American College of Surgeons and is recognized as a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.