CMC Cancer Center Earns ACR Radiation Accreditation

Becomes First East of Nashville

Cumberland Medical Center’s Cancer Center is the first cancer center east of Nashville to earn the American College of Radiology (ACR) Radiation Oncology accreditation. 

“This is a tremendous honor because the ACR’s rigorous process took an in-depth review of our radiation oncology program to ensure it meets or excels in the best practices established for radiation cancer treatment,” says CMC Cancer and Breast Center Manager Tom Rally.

CMC’s Cancer Center has been awarded a three-year term of accreditation in radiation oncology as the result of a recent review by the ACR. Radiation oncology (radiation therapy) is the careful use of high-energy radiation to treat cancer. A radiation oncologist may use radiation to cure cancer or to relieve a cancer patient’s pain.

Board-certified radiation oncologists and medical physicists with ACR performed an onsite evaluation in support of qualifying for this accreditation. Together, they toured the cancer center in Crossville, held interviews with hospital staff essential to cancer treatment, and reviewed patient outcome data.

The ACR is the nation’s oldest and most widely accepted radiation oncology accrediting body, with over 700 accredited sites, and 30 years of accreditation experience. The ACR seal of accreditation represents the highest level of quality and patient safety. It is awarded only to facilities meeting specific Practice Guidelines and Technical Standards developed by ACR after a peer-review evaluation by board-certified radiation oncologists and medical physicists who are experts in the field. Patient care and treatment, patient safety, personnel qualifications, adequacy of facility equipment, quality control procedures, and quality assurance programs are assessed. The findings are reported to the ACR Committee on Radiation Oncology Accreditation, which subsequently provides the practice with a comprehensive report they can use for continuous practice improvement.

The ACR is a national professional organization serving more than 36,000 diagnostic/interventional radiologists, radiation oncologists, nuclear medicine physicians, and medical physicists with programs focusing on the practice of medical imaging and radiation oncology and the delivery of comprehensive health care services.

CMC’s Regional Cancer Center is one of eight ACR accredited radiation oncology programs in Tennessee. Locally, CMC treats approximately 600 patients each year. The program has also been recognized by the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons for offering high-quality cancer care. Its comprehensive patient care model is essential in the diagnosis and successful treatment of cancer. The cancer center includes:

• Advanced linear accelerator for radiation therapy
• Licensed, specially trained, and board certified staff
• Nutritional consults, genetic counseling, clinical trials and cutting-edge treatment protocols
• Most advanced treatment planning system in the area
• Image-guided technology and techniques ensure accuracy, sparing normal tissue
• Flexible treatment scheduling
• Convenient parking
   

As a member of Covenant Health and Thompson, our region’s largest cancer fighting network, Cumberland’s Cancer Center brings board certified physicians and surgeons closer to where patients of the Cumberland Plateau call home. For more information, please call (931) 456-8390.