The John B. Amos Cancer Center in Columbus, Georgia has been granted three-year accreditation with commendation from the Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons (ACoS).

Accreditation by the CoC is given only to those cancer facilities that have voluntarily committed to providing 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.

The Cancer Center received the accreditation following the on-site evaluation by a physician surveyor of the full scope of the cancer program, including:

• Cancer Committee Leadership
• Cancer Data Management
• Clinical Services
• Community Outreach
• Quality Improvement
• Research

Quick Facts About Cancer

• The American Cancer Society estimates that more than 1.4 million cases of cancer were diagnosed in 2009.

• There are currently more than 1,400 CoC-accredited cancer programs in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, representing close to 25 percent of all hospitals.

• Of those hospitals, 25 percent of hospitals diagnose and/or treat 80 percent of newly diagnosed cancer patients each year.