The cancer programs at Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn Medical Center and Scottsdale Healthcare Shea Medical Center, including the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare, have been awarded the 2013 Outstanding Achievement Award by the American College of Surgeons’ (ACS) Commission on Cancer (CoC).

The award acknowledges cancer programs that achieve excellence in providing quality care to cancer patients. Scottsdale Healthcare has the only two cancer programs in Arizona and is among a select group of 74 healthcare facilities across the U.S. to receive the CoC national Outstanding Achievement Award.

“This award is a reflection of the dedication and expertise of our cancer care team, who have dedicated their careers to caring for cancer patients and work tirelessly to provide comprehensive, high quality and compassionate care to our patients,” said Gary Baker, Scottsdale Lincoln Health Network senior vice president and CEO of Scottsdale Healthcare Shea Medical Center.

Scottsdale Healthcare’s cancer programs were evaluated on 34 standards categorized within five activity areas: clinical services, quality improvement, cancer committee leadership, cancer data management and cancer conferences. Eligibility for the Outstanding Achievement Award requires achieving a rating of compliance in each of the 34 standards and a rating of commendation in seven additional standards.

“We are proud of this honor,” said Selma Kendrick, director of operations for the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare. “It’s an important accomplishment because it recognizes our dedication to providing world-class cancer care for our patients through a variety of disciplines and the high standards we have operationally.”

According to the Commission on Cancer, the purpose of the award is to raise awareness on the importance of providing quality cancer care at healthcare institutions throughout the U.S. In addition, it is intended to:

• Motivate other cancer programs to work toward improving their level of care.
• Facilitate dialogue between award recipients and healthcare professionals at other cancer facilities for the purpose of sharing best practices.
• Encourage honorees to serve as quality-care resources to other cancer programs.
• Educate cancer patients on available quality-care options.

The Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare opened in 2001 as the first major cancer center in greater Phoenix to offer comprehensive cancer care and research through clinical trials, diagnosis, treatment, prevention and support services in collaboration with leading scientific researchers and community oncologists.

Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn Medical Center, Scottsdale Healthcare Shea Medical Center, Scottsdale Healthcare Thompson Peak Hospital, the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare, Scottsdale Healthcare Research Institute and related entities are affiliates of the non-profit Scottsdale Lincoln Health Network. For more information on cancer services at Scottsdale Healthcare, visit shc.org.