The American Society of Clinical Oncology Recognizes and Recertifies Tunnell Cancer Center for providing ongoing Quality Patient Care
Beebe Healthcare’s Tunnell Cancer Center has received recertification from the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI®) Certification Program, an affiliate of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). The QOPI® Certification Program (QCP™) provides a three-year certification for outpatient hematology-oncology practices that meet nationally recognized standards for quality cancer care.
Tunnell Cancer Center first achieved QOPI certification in January 2013. In applying for recertification, Tunnell Cancer Center participated in a voluntary comprehensive site assessment against clearly specified standards that are consistent with national guidelines and was successful in meeting the standards and objectives of the QOPI Certification Program.
“Practices that achieve recertification through QOPI continue to demonstrate a strong commitment to providing patients with high quality care,” said ASCO President Peter Paul Yu, MD, FACP, FASCO. “The QOPI Certification Program allows oncology practices to engage in lifelong learning by providing not only the measures to assess the level of care they provide, but also the information and resources needed to help maintain quality.”
Beebe Healthcare established Tunnell Cancer Center in 1995. Now located at the Beebe Health Campus on Route 24 in Rehoboth Beach, Tunnell Cancer Center has clinical specialties in medical oncology/hematology and radiation oncology. It provides a multidisciplinary and individualized approach for planning all cancer treatment. Nearly 200 patients visit the center each day.
“We are extremely proud to have received the QOPI certification, and to continue to be recognized by ASCO for providing quality care,” says Cherrie Rich, RN, Executive Director of Oncology Services at Beebe Healthcare. “It reflects the commitment to quality and patient safety of our entire team including the oncologists, pharmacists, nurses, navigators, therapists, and support staff at Tunnell Cancer Center. These individuals work together with the goal of providing each patient with high quality, personalized care and attention based on best practices, with a focus on the whole patient and survivorship planning from the very beginning of treatment.”
QOPI is a voluntary self-assessment and improvement program launched by ASCO in 2006 to help hematology-oncology and medical oncology practices assess the quality of the care they provide to patients. Through the QOPI program, practices abstract data from patients’ records up to twice per year and enter this information into a secure database. More than 900 oncology practices have registered for the QOPI program.
The QCP was launched in January 2010, with more than 250 practices already certified. This certification for outpatient oncology practices is the first program of its kind for oncology in the United States. Oncologists can achieve certification by participating in a voluntary comprehensive site assessment against clearly specified standards that are consistent with national guidelines. The QCP seal designates those practices that not only scored above the threshold on the key QOPI quality measures, but met chemotherapy safety standards established by ASCO and the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS).
QOPI® analyzes individual practice data and compares these to more than 160 evidence-based and consensus quality measures. The information is then provided in reports to participating practices. Individual practices are also able to compare their performance to data from other practices across the country. Based on this feedback, doctors and practices can identify areas for improvement.
To become certified, practices have to submit to an evaluation of their entire practice and documentation standards. The QCP staff and steering group members then verify through on-site inspection that the evaluation and documents are correct and that the practices met core standards in areas of treatment, including:
• treatment planning;
• staff training and education;
• chemotherapy orders and drug preparation;
• patient consent and education;
• safe chemotherapy administration;
• monitoring and assessment of patient well-being.
QOPI and the QCP are projects of ASCO’s Institute for Quality, an ASCO affiliate dedicated to innovative quality improvement programs. For more information, please visit: https://qopi.asco.org/certification.html.
About ASCO:
Founded in 1964, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is the world’s leading professional organization representing physicians who care for people with cancer. With more than 35,000 members, ASCO is committed to improving cancer care through scientific meetings, educational programs and peer-reviewed journals. ASCO is supported by its affiliate organization, the Conquer Cancer Foundation, which funds ground-breaking research and programs that make a tangible difference in the lives of people with cancer. For ASCO information and resources, visit www.asco.org. Patient-oriented cancer information is available at www.cancer.net.
About ASCO Institute for Quality, LLC
The ASCO Institute for Quality is an ASCO affiliate dedicated to innovative quality improvement programs for ASCO members and their patients. Committed to providing oncologists with the necessary resources to provide every patient with high-level cancer care, the Institute carries out ASCO’s clinical quality improvement programs. The Institute is a wholly-owned subsidiary of ASCO.
About Beebe Healthcare
is a not-for-profit community healthcare system with a charitable mission to encourage healthy living, prevent illness, and restore optimal health for the people residing, working, or visiting in the communities we serve. It offers services throughout Southern Delaware for residents and visitors, including a 210-licensed-bed hospital, a cancer center, and outpatient facilities providing walk-in care, lab, imaging, and physical rehabilitation services. For more information, please visit us online at Beebe Healthcare.