Floyd Memorial Hospital & Health Services

Walter D. Jones, MD, a pathologist with Floyd Memorial Hospital and Health Services, was recently awarded the Cancer Liaison Physician Outstanding Performance Award from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (CoC).  Cancer Liaison Physicians are an integral part of cancer programs approved by the CoC, an accreditation which the Floyd Memorial cancer program is proud to have received for 2008.

Dr. Jones is one of only 55 physicians nationwide to receive this distinction, honoring those doctors who go above and beyond expectations to advance and provide direction to their cancer program. Cancer Liaison Physicians are appointed to their post on a voluntary basis and are responsible for spearheading CoC initiatives within their cancer program; collaborating with local agencies such as the American Cancer Society (ACS); and facilitating quality improvement initiatives by utilizing data submitted to the CoC’s National Cancer Database (NCDB).  The CoC collects data from its approved cancer programs and provides tools back to organizations to facilitate the analysis of patterns of diagnosis and treatment.  

The CoC is a consortium of 46 professional organizations dedicated to improving the survival and quality of life for cancer patients.  The Commission achieves its goal through standard-setting, cancer prevention, research, educational activities, as well as monitoring comprehensive quality care.  Its membership includes national organizations representing the full spectrum of cancer care and Fellows of the American College of Surgeons.  The Commission’s core functions include establishing standards to ensure the delivery of quality, multidisciplinary and comprehensive cancer care in healthcare settings; surveying facilities to assess compliance with those standards; collecting standardized data from approved facilities to measure quality; using data to monitor treatment patterns; supporting cancer control, enhancing clinical surveillance activities and developing effective educational interventions to improve outcomes at the national, state and local level.  There are currently more than 1,400 CoC-approved cancer programs in the United States and Puerto Rico, and approximately 80 percent of newly diagnosed cancer patients are treated in these institutions.
 

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The Cancer Center of Indiana brings together leading cancer experts and the most advanced technology to provide comprehensive cancer care to southern Indiana.  Through collaboration between Cancer Care Center and Floyd Memorial Radiation Oncology, the Cancer Center of Indiana is able to offer patients medical and radiation oncology as well as specialized resources and support services in one convenient location.  Services offered include medical and radiation oncology and hematology, and a Cancer Resource Center that offers patients a convenient source for finding reliable information on various cancers, support groups, educational programs and many other facets of cancer treatment and care.  In addition to this, the Center’s Women’s Boutique gives women battling cancer a place to try on wigs and hairpieces as well as locate resources for items such as post-mastectomy apparel.