Flaget Memorial Hospital Receives Recognition for Cancer Care from Largest Oncology Society in United States - Archived

 

Bardstown, Ky. (April 24, 2014) – KentuckyOne Cancer Care at Flaget Memorial Hospital has been recognized for high standards in quality cancer care from the world’s leading professional organization representing physicians who care for people with cancer.

 

The hospital’s cancer care program received certification through the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI^®) Certification Program, an affiliate of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). The three-year certification recognizes outpatient hematology-oncology practices that meet the highest standards for quality cancer care.

 

“We are committed to providing the best care possible for our patients, who are our neighbors, family and friends” said Sue Downs, president, Flaget Memorial Hospital. “We are proud of our oncology team for the work they do every day that earned us this certification.”

 

Flaget Memorial Hospital became home to Nelson county’s first full service cancer care including radiation oncology, in September of 2010. The facility includes private chemotherapy rooms, intravenous therapy treatment for patients, patient education areas and other amenities including a cancer-resource library.

 

“This certification is confirmation that the staff provides the highest level of quality cancer care to our community,” said Monte E. Martin, MD, medical director, Flaget Cancer Care.  “Additionally, the eligible nursing staff who provides direct patient care to our cancer patients has achieved their Oncology Nurse Certification which validates they are clinical experts in oncology. “

 

“We are privileged to have Dr. Martin at Flaget as he is triple board certified in medical oncology, hematology, and internal medicine,” said Bobbi Harned, RN, BSN, director Flaget Cancer Center. “He brings years of oncology experience and excellent compassionate care to our patients.  He truly treats them like they are part of our family.”

 

 “QOPI is designed by clinical experts in oncology to give practices the ability to continuously improve the quality of care they provide,” said ASCO President Clifford A. Hudis, MD, FACP. “The QOPI Certification Program helps practices determine whether they are providing the best possible treatment and care to their patients and demonstrates their commitment to excellence and lifelong learning.”

 

QOPI^® is a voluntary, self-assessment and improvement program launched by ASCO in 2006 to help hematology-oncology and medical oncology practices assess the quality of the care they provide to patients. Through the QOPI program, practices abstract data from patients’ records up to twice per year and enter this information into a secure database. More than 850 oncology practices have registered in the QOPI program.  

 

The QOPI^® Certification Program (QCP™) was launched in January 2010, with more than 200 practices already certified. This certification for outpatient oncology practices is the first program of its kind for oncology in the United States. Oncologists can achieve certification by meeting the highest standards of care. The QCP seal designates those practices that not only scored high on the key QOPI quality measures, but meet rigorous chemotherapy safety standards established by ASCO and the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS). 

 

QOPI^® analyzes individual practice data and compares these to more than 160 evidence-based and consensus quality measures. The information is then provided in reports to participating practices.  Individual practices are also able to compare their performance to data from other practices across the country. Based on this feedback, doctors and practices can identify areas for improvement.  

 

To become certified, practices have to submit to an evaluation of their entire practice and documentation standards. The QCP staff and steering group members then verify through on-site inspection that the evaluation and documents are correct and that the practices met core standards in areas of treatment, including:

• treatment planning;
• staff training and education;
• chemotherapy orders and drug preparation;
• patient consent and education;
• safe chemotherapy administration;
• monitoring and assessment of patient well-being.

 

The QOPI Certification Program is a project of ASCO’s Institute for Quality, an ASCO affiliate dedicated to innovative quality improvement programs. For more information, please visit: http://qopi.asco.org/certification.html.

 

About KentuckyOne Health
KentuckyOne Health was formed when two major Kentucky health care organizations came together in early 2012. KentuckyOne Health combines the Jewish and Catholic heritages of the two former systems – Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s HealthCare and Saint Joseph Health System. In late 2012, the organization formed a partnership with the University of Louisville Hospital | James Graham Brown Cancer Center.  The nonprofit system is committed to improving the health of Kentuckians by integrating medical research, education, technology and health care services wherever patients receive care. KentuckyOne Health has more than 200 locations including hospitals, physician groups, clinics, primary care centers, specialty institutes and home health agencies across the state of Kentucky and southern Indiana. KentuckyOne Health is the largest health system in Kentucky.

 

About ASCO:

Founded in 1964, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is the world’s leading professional organization representing physicians who care for people with cancer. With nearly 35,000 members, ASCO is committed to improving cancer care through scientific meetings, educational programs and peer-reviewed journals. ASCO is supported by its affiliate organization, the Conquer Cancer Foundation, which funds ground-breaking research and programs that make a tangible difference in the lives of people with cancer.  For ASCO information and resources, visit www.asco.org. Patient-oriented cancer information is available at www.cancer.net.

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