(Omaha, Neb. – Feb. 28, 2011) – Creighton University Medical Center has been awarded a three-year term of accreditation in radiation oncology as the result of a recent review by the American College of Radiology (ACR) and The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO). Radiation oncology (radiation therapy) is the careful use of high-energy radiation to treat cancer. A radiation oncologist may use radiation to treat cancer or to relieve a cancer patient’s pain.
“This achievement is a reflection of the outstanding quality, patient care, treatment and planning provided through our radiation therapy services,” said Gary Honts, President and CEO of Creighton University Medical Center.
The ACR-ASTRO seal of accreditation represents the highest level of quality and patient safety. It is awarded only to facilities meeting specific Practice Guidelines and Technical Standards developed by ACR and ASTRO after a peer-review evaluation by board-certified radiation oncologists and medical physicists who are experts in the field. Patient care and treatment, patient safety, personnel qualifications, adequacy of facility equipment, quality control procedures, and quality assurance programs are assessed. The findings are reported to the ACR-ASTRO Committee on Radiation Oncology Accreditation, which subsequently provides the practice with a comprehensive report they can use for continuous practice improvement.
The ACR is a national professional organization serving more than 34,000 diagnostic/interventional radiologists, radiation oncologists, nuclear medicine physicians, and medical physicists with programs focusing on the practice of medical imaging and radiation oncology and the delivery of comprehensive health care services. ASTRO is a professional organization serving more than 10,000 radiation oncologists, medical physicists and other health care professionals involved in the treatment of cancer patients.
Creighton University Medical Center also recently made significant investments in Radiation Oncology including a new CT scanner, planning system and linear accelerator. In addition to the new equipment, aesthetic upgrades were made throughout including updated flooring and paint in patient areas.
About Creighton University Medical Center
Creighton University Medical Center (CUMC) is one of the region’s premier academic medical centers and one of the largest health care providers in Nebraska. The organization includes Saint Joseph Hospital, a 334-bed acute care facility; Creighton University Schools of Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry, and Pharmacy and Health Professions; and Creighton Medical Associates, a network of nearly 300 faculty physicians who practice in clinic locations throughout Nebraska and Iowa. CUMC is known for its centers of expertise in Cardiac Care, Cancer Care, Trauma, Minimally Invasive Surgery, High-Risk OB, Blood Conservation and Surgery. Its trauma center is the oldest and busiest in the state, and the medical center offers the region’s first freestanding facility dedicated to cardiac care. To learn more about the Creighton University Medical Center, visit www.creightonhospital.com.
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