Providence Cancer Center earns national accreditation

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The Commission on Cancer, a quality program of the American College of Surgeons, has awarded a three-year accreditation to the cancer program at Providence Alaska Medical Center. Providence provides the only comprehensive community cancer program in Alaska.

Providence Cancer Center received the accreditation on December 20, 2022, following an extensive evaluation by a physician surveyor on November 16, 2022.The Commission on Cancer Accreditation Program provides the framework for Providence to improve its quality of patient care through various cancer-related programs that focus on the full spectrum of cancer care including prevention, early diagnosis, cancer staging, optimal treatment, rehabilitation, life-long follow-up for recurrent disease, and end-of-life care.

“As a cancer physician, I am pleased to see Providence received full accreditation of the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer for the Providence cancer program,” said John Halligan, M.D., medical director of Radiation Oncology at Providence Alaska Medical Center. “This reflects the excellence of a multidisciplinary cancer program meeting the highest standards and offering state of the art care to our patients in Alaska.”

To maintain accreditation, facilities with community cancer programs must undergo an on-site review every three years. This is the second time Providence’s cancer program has been accredited by the commission.

The program first received accreditation in 2005. Receiving care at a commission-accredited cancer program ensures a patient will have access to:

• comprehensive care, including a range of state-of-the-art services and equipment;
• a 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;
• a cancer registry that collects data on type and stages of cancers and treatment results and offers lifelong patient follow-up; and
• ongoing monitoring and improvement of care, and most importantly, cancer care close to home.

There are currently more than 1,500 Commission on Cancer-accredited cancer programs in the U.S. and Puerto Rico that diagnose and/or treat more than 70% of all newly diagnosed patients with cancer.

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About Providence Alaska Medical Center
Providence Alaska Medical Center, a nationally recognized trauma center and Alaska’s only Magnet hospital, is part of Providence St. Joseph Health, a not-for-profit network of hospitals, care centers, health plans, physicians, clinics, home health services, affiliated services and educational facilities. For more information about Providence Alaska Medical Center, visit alaska.providence.org.  

About the Commission on Cancer
Established in 1922 by the American College of Surgeons, the Commission on Cancer is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival rates 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 42 national organizations that reflect the full spectrum of cancer care. For more information, visit www.facs.org/cancer.