FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Wendy Kelly, Director Marketing
The Outer Banks Hospital
(252) 449-9184
[email protected]
Date: June 19, 2019
Hospital Cancer Program Receives Three-Year Accreditation with Commendation
The American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer has awarded The Outer Banks Hospital cancer program Three-Year Accreditation with Commendation. This accreditation means TOBH has met and exceeded the CoC quality care standards through a three-year survey process. This is the second consecutive Three-Year Accreditation with Commendation received by TOBH. It is awarded only to facilities that exceed standard requirements at the time of the survey.
“Improving survival and quality of life for cancer patients is our number-one priority,” noted TOBH oncologist Dr. William Guenther. “Achieving this accreditation with commendation is a clear benchmark for the high quality and tireless efforts of our cancer services team.”
“We believe that because we take a multidisciplinary approach to care here at The Outer Banks Hospital, we have the experience and knowledge that allow us to diagnose and treat the complex group of diseases known as cancer,” said Dr. Charles Shelton, TOBH radiation oncologist. “Our surgeons, oncologists, radiologists, pathologists and other cancer specialists continually partner to improve patient care.”
“We chose to pursue accreditation because we made a commitment to quality for our community,” said Robin Hearne, RN, TOBH director of cancer services. We knew that the framework for the survey would help us build our cancer program to include early diagnosis, cancer staging, optimal treatment, rehabilitation, lifelong follow-up for recurrent disease, and end-of-life care,” she added.
In addition to the compliant standards and additional commendations, the CoC surveyor, Patricia Goldblatt, MD, FCAP, FASCP, noted, “This hospital has only 21 beds and fulfills a dire need of cancer services in this island community. The range of services that they provide is exceptional, and they strive to improve in every way, with strong support from both the hospital administration and medical community. Considering that this program has been accredited for only four years, their performance in this survey was phenomenal and the enthusiasm of the staff was contagious.”
Robin Hearne, RN, TOBH director of cancer services (left); Dr. William Guenther, MD, TOBH oncologist (middle); and Dr. Charles Shelton, MD, TOBH radiation oncologist (right), discuss the importance of collaboration and partnership in achieving The American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer Accreditation with Commendation.
