Aurora BayCare Medical Center’s cancer program has received a three-year approval with commendation from the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons.

Aurora BayCare, which launched its cancer program in 2002, achieved this upon the Commission on Cancer’s first review, an extremely rare feat in the evaluation process.

“To receive a three-year accreditation with commendation on the initial survey of a cancer program is unheard of and speaks to the dedication of our team to providing outstanding care and support to our cancer patients here,” said David Rohde, M.D., radiation oncologist and chairman of the cancer committee at Aurora BayCare.

“We always knew that we provided cancer care commensurate with many of the top cancer programs in the country, so it is gratifying to have a national independent review source acknowledge this fact.”

Aurora BayCare’s cancer program has grown to serve not only Green Bay but all of northeastern Wisconsin and Michigan’s upper peninsula. In 2004, a significant portion of Aurora BayCare’s cancer patients came from counties such as Manitowoc (12 percent), Door (10 percent), Oconto (8 percent), Marinette (5 percent), and the upper Michigan counties of Delta, Menominee and Dickinson (9 percent).

A three-year approval with commendation is achieved by approximately 56 percent of cancer treatment centers nationwide. Each cancer program must undergo a rigorous evaluation and review of its performance and compliance with Commission on Cancer (CoC) standards every three years.

Approval is granted only to those facilities that have voluntarily committed to provide the best in cancer diagnosis and treatment. A three-year approval with commendation indicates that the CoC’s review found no deficiencies within the 36 program standards it evaluates.

Participating hospitals, treatment centers and other facilities effectively demonstrate a continuum of care from prevention and early detection, pretreatment evaluation and staging, to optimal treatment, rehabilitation, surveillance for recurrent disease, support services and end-of-life care.

Receiving care at a CoC-approved cancer program ensures that a patient will have access to:

• Comprehensive care, including a range of state-of-the-art services and equipment.
• A multispecialty, 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 stage of cancers and treatment results and offers lifelong patient follow-up.
• Ongoing monitoring and improvement of care.

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.

Aurora BayCare Medical Center is a full-service tertiary care hospital located on Green Bay’s east side. It opened in September 2001 as a joint effort of Aurora Health Care and BayCare Clinic.

Contact: Mike Spofford, Media Relations
920-445-2165 or 920-704-1386 (pager)