Hartford Hospital’s Helen & Harry Gray Cancer Center Accredited with Commendation by the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons

January 12, 2012

Hartford, Conn. – The Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons has granted Three-Year Accreditation with Commendation to Hartford Hospital’s Helen & Harry Gray Cancer Center.

The accreditation program sets quality-of-care standards for cancer programs and reviews the programs to ensure they conform to those standards. Accreditation is given only to those facilities that provide the highest level of quality cancer care, and that undergo a rigorous evaluation process and review of their performance. To maintain accreditation, facilities with CoC-accredited cancer programs must undergo an on-site review every three years.

"We are so pleased to be recognized for our comprehensive efforts in cancer outreach, diagnosis, treatment, support and research," said Dr. Robert Piorkowski, Chief of Surgical Oncology, Chair of Hartford Hospital's Cancer Committee and member of the American College of Surgeon's Commission on Cancer. "Through our partnership with the NCI as an NCI Community Cancer Center, our program has grown tremendously in the last few years in terms of scope and innovation. All of this means we are taking even better care of our patients."

Receiving care at a CoC-accredited cancer program ensures that a patient will have access to:

  • Comprehensive care, including a range of state-of-the art services and equipment
  • A multispecialty, team approach to coordinate the best treatment options
  • Information about ongoing clinical trials and new treatment options
  • Access to cancer-related information, education and support
  • A cancer registry that collects data on type and stage of cancers and treatment results, and offers lifelong patient follow-up
  • Ongoing monitoring and improvement of care
  • Quality care close to home

"We are delighted to be recognized by the American College of Surgeons with commendation status," said Dr. Andrew Salner, Director of the Helen & Harry Gray Cancer Center. "So much of this recognition is attributed to the amazing work and collaborations of our physicians and staff. Because of their efforts, we have made great strides in providing innovative, complex, multidisciplinary cancer care in a coordinated fashion." 

The CoC is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival rates and quality of life for cancer patients through standard-setting, prevention, research, education, and the monitoring of comprehensive, quality care. 

Hartford Hospital