Jefferson Surgeon Receives Outstanding Performance Award From American College Of Surgeons Commission On Cancer
Adam Berger, M.D., a Cancer Liaison Physician (CLP) at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital,
recently received an Outstanding Performance Award for going above and
beyond the scope of the normal duties of serving as a liaison between
the hospital’s cancer program and the American College of Surgeons
Commission on Cancer (CoC). As a Cancer Liaison, he is serving a
three-year appointment and is among a national network of over 1,600
volunteer physicians who are responsible for providing leadership and
direction to establish, maintain and support their facility’s cancer
program. CLPs are an integral part of cancer programs accredited by
the CoC. Dr. Berger is an associate professor in the Department of
Surgery at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University,
and is a member of the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson.
As
a CLP, Dr. Berger, is responsible for spearheading CoC initiatives
within the hospital’s cancer program; collaborating with local
agencies, such as the American Cancer Society; and facilitating quality
improvement initiatives utilizing data submitted to the CoC's National
Cancer Database (NCDB). The NCDB currently contains patient
demographics, tumor characteristics, treatment, and outcomes
information for over 25 million malignant cancers diagnosed and treated
at hospital cancer programs in the United States. The CoC collects
data from its approved cancer programs and provides tools these
facilities can use to facilitate the analysis of patterns of diagnosis
and treatment.
Nationally,
36 Cancer Liaison Physician Outstanding Performance Awards were
recently given to recognize liaison physicians’ work in developing
and/or implementing an idea that improved the quality of care delivered
at their facility; directly contributing to the accreditation status of
the cancer program; exceeding the expectations set forth for CLPs to
strengthen the cancer program; demonstrating leadership and support for
cancer control activities in the community and with the ACS; or serving
as a role model for other staff and exhibiting characteristics that
truly make them a physician champion for the cancer program.
Established
in 1922 by the American College of Surgeons, the Commission on Cancer
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 46 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. There are currently
more than 1,400 CoC-accredited cancer programs in the U.S. and Puerto
Rico.
Media Only Contact:
Ed Federico
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
Phone: (215) 955-6300
Published: 2/26/2010