Providence earns national accreditation for radiation oncology
American College of Radiology seal of accreditation represents the highest level of quality and patient safety
ANCHORAGE, AK - Providence Alaska Medical Center has been awarded its second consecutive three-year term of accreditation in radiation oncology as the result of a recent review by the American College of Radiology. Providence is the only facility in Alaska to receive this accreditation.
The ACR is the nation's oldest and most widely accepted radiation oncology accrediting body, with nearly 500 accredited sites and 25 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.
The assessment includes:
* patient care and treatment,
* patient safety,
* personnel qualifications,
* adequacy of facility equipment,
* quality control procedures, and
* quality assurance programs.
The findings are reported to the ACR Committee on Radiation Oncology Accreditation, which subsequently provides the practice with a comprehensive report it can use for continuous practice improvement.
"We are honored to have earned the ACR certification. This accreditation represents our team's dedication to providing the highest level of quality and patient safety for Alaskans," said Richard Mandsager, MD, chief executive of Providence Alaska Medical Center.
Radiation oncology, also known as 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.
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.
Press release from Providence Alaska Medical Center