Newswise — WASHINGTON (Oct. 28, 2013) – Congratulations to the George Washington University Cancer Institute (GWCI), who received the 2013 Association of Community Cancer Centers’ (ACCC) Innovator Award. The Institute, housed within the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences, was recognized as a top 10 cancer program in developing and pioneering solutions to address the challenges of treating cancer patients.
Established in 2011, ACCC's Innovator Awards are sponsored by GE Healthcare to honor exceptional cancer programs that exhibit forward-thinking strategic planning and have developed pioneering, replicable programs for cancer care delivery. As an award recipient, GWCI had the opportunity to present the details and outcomes of their program at the ACCC National Oncology Conference, Oct. 2-5, 2013 in Boston, before an audience of more than 500 cancer care providers from across the country.
“We aim to set the standard for patient-centered care,” said Associate Director of GWCI Mandi Pratt-Chapman. “This award is a testament to the GW Cancer Institute’s collaborative work with our clinical partners to continually improve the experience of patients.”
GWCI was recognized for its patient-centered programs to exceed new accreditation standards. In the last year, the Institute has focused attention on patient navigation quality improvements, a new distress screening protocol, and increasing referrals to survivorship services. GWCI continues to lead technical support for a Citywide Patient Navigation Network, a safety net for the city’s most vulnerable patients. Navigators in the network have removed barriers to cancer care for more than 7,000 patients in the past three years. The Institute also trains health care professionals across the country on best practices in patient-centered program development to help others meet new accreditation standards.
"Both ACCC and GE Healthcare are proud to honor programs that are enhancing community cancer care through progressive, patient-focused tools and strategies," said Virginia T. Vaitones, MSW, OSW-C, ACCC President and oncology social worker at Pen Bay Medical Center in Rockport, Maine. "They will provide inspiration and spark new innovations for all of us working in cancer care."
To view a video about GWCI’s award-winning program, visit http://www.accc-cancer.org/association/Innovators-2013-GWCI.asp.
For information about each of the award-winning programs, visit http://www.accc-cancer.org/mediaroom/press_releases/2013/2013-InnovatorAwardRecipients-1007.asp#sthash.FvNpK7fr.dpuf.
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About the GW Cancer Institute The GW Cancer Institute (GWCI), housed within the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences, takes a comprehensive approach to a complex disease. Working together with the GW Hospital and GW Medical Faculty Associates, the GW Cancer Institute brings multidisciplinary clinical, research, education and outreach programs together in a comprehensive approach to cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment and survivorship. The mission of the GW Cancer Institute is to ensure access to quality, patient-centered care across the cancer continuum through community engagement, patient and family empowerment, health care professional education, policy advocacy and collaborative multi-disciplinary research. More information about GWCI at: www.gwcancerinstitute.org.
About the Association of Community Cancer CentersThe Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) serves as the leading advocacy and education organization for the multidisciplinary cancer care team. More than 18,000 cancer care professionals from approximately 900 hospitals and more than 1,200 private practices are affiliated with ACCC. Providing a national forum for addressing issues that affect community cancer programs, ACCC is recognized as the premier provider of resources for the entire oncology care team. Our members include medical and radiation oncologists, surgeons, cancer program administrators and medical directors, senior hospital executives, practice managers, pharmacists, oncology nurses, radiation therapists, social workers, and cancer program data managers. For more information, visit ACCC's website at www.accc-cancer.org. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and read our blog, ACCCBuzz.
About GE HealthcareGE Healthcare offers a wide portfolio for oncology and a strategy that combines cellular research, medical imaging, laboratory diagnostics, biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies and information technology. These innovative technologies help the oncology community increase their understanding of the causes and progression of cancer and can help physicians make more personalized cancer treatment and management decisions. Recently, GE launched a global healthymagination commitment to help deliver better care to 10 million patients by 2020 through $1 billion in dedicated R&D investment aimed at accelerating cancer treatment progress through innovation.
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