The American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer (CoC) has accredited the University of Colorado Cancer Center and its partner UCHealth hospitals, designating each as an ACS Surgical Quality Partner. This designation recognizes that each institution is dedicated to maintaining the highest standards in surgical care.
“The American College of Surgeons is one of the most important surgical organizations in the world,” says CU Cancer Center Director and CU Department of Surgery Chair Richard Schulick, MD, MBA. “It is an organization that was started to serve the United States and Canada, but it's grown to become an international leader. This designation means that we meet the standards of the American College of Surgeons.”
The (CoC) is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival and quality of life for patients with cancer by setting and raising standards. The CU Cancer Center is part of the group’s efforts to promote cancer prevention, research, education, and monitoring of comprehensive quality care.
Importance of surgery
As part of the American College of Surgeons, the CoC puts special emphasis on surgery as an effective part of cancer treatment.
“Surgery is an extremely important part of cancer care, especially for solid tumors,” Schulick says. “For the great majority of cancers, surgery is a workhorse of treatment and often vital to curing a patient. Sometimes surgery is also part of a prevention strategy.”
Four UCHealth hospitals — University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora, Memorial Hospital Central in Colorado Springs, Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, and Yampa Valley Medical Center in Steamboat Spring — were reaccredited by the CoC, while Highlands Ranch Hospital, Longs Peak Hospital in Longmont, Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland, and Greeley Hospital were accredited for the first time.
Dual distinction
Schulick says the CoC designation is important both for patients and practitioners.
“It affirms that we have very high standards here at CU and UCHealth University of Colorado hospitals,” he says. “I think it makes patients more comfortable that they're coming to a center that is COC-accredited, and our surgeons and other practitioners should be proud of the fact that we meet the standards of the American College of Surgeons.”
The COC designation is one of several national distinctions for the CU Cancer Center, which also has been designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute and is part of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, a not-for-profit alliance of 33 leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research, and education.
“I want to thank all those involved for their hard work in getting this CoC accreditation,” Schulick says. “It's another verification of how good we are.”
