Thompson Proton Center Earns National APEx Accreditation

Thompson Proton Center achieves radiation oncology services reaccreditation from ASTRO’s APEx – Accreditation Program for Excellence^®

Thompson Proton Center, a member of Thompson Cancer Survival Center, attained reaccreditation from the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) APEx – Accreditation Program for Excellence®. APEx provides external validation that a radiation oncology facility delivers high-quality, safe patient care.

 “Thompson Proton Center is pleased to receive the APEx accreditation from ASTRO, the largest radiation oncology society in the world,” said Scott Warwick, Chief Administration Officer of Thompson Cancer Survival Center.

“This accreditation is not only an honor for our proton center but also a testament to Thompson Cancer Survival Center’s unwavering commitment towards providing the highest standard of cancer care to patients across our region. Our radiation oncology team was invested in evaluating our processes to meet ASTRO’s high standards for safety and quality. Maintaining APEx accreditation shows our community that we continue to be dedicated to delivering consistently safe patient-centered cancer care, close to home.”

APEx, the fastest-growing radiation oncology practice accreditation program in the United States, is a voluntary, objective and rigorous multi-step process during which a radiation oncology practice is evaluated using consensus-based standards. The practice must demonstrate its safety and quality processes and show that it adheres to patient-centered care by promoting effective communication, coordinated treatments and strong patient engagement.

“ASTRO commends Thompson Proton Center for achieving reaccreditation through APEx,” said Geraldine M. Jacobson, MD, MPH, MBA, FASTRO, chair of the ASTRO Board of Directors. “By undergoing this comprehensive review, the facility demonstrated their ongoing commitment to delivering safe, high-quality radiation oncology services to their patients.”

APEx is the only radiation oncology accreditation program that includes a self-assessment, which allows practices to internally assess compliance with quality improvement standards. The practice then proceeds to a facility review by an external surveyor team that includes a radiation oncologist and a medical physicist. The program reflects the recommendations endorsed in the ASTRO publication Safety is No Accident: A Framework for Quality Radiation Oncology and Care. To date, more than 250 U.S. facilities have earned APEx accreditation. Learn more about APEx at www.astro.org/APEx.