Leading cancer group again recognizes excellence in UCI Health oncology services
October 26, 2016
The UCI Health Division of Hematology-Oncology has again been recognized by the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative Certification Program, an affiliate of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, for its high-quality cancer care. Participation in the ASCO Quality Oncology Practice Initiative assures patients that an outpatient oncology practice meets the highest standards of cancer care.
“We were among the first group of QOPI-certified practices in 2010 and this recertification reflects our long-standing commitment to providing our patients the highest quality of care,” said Dr. Edward L. Nelson, UCI Health chief of hematology-oncology and associate professor, Department of Medicine, UC Irvine School of Medicine. Nelson is also an associate professor in the Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, UC Irvine School of Biological Sciences.
UCI Health hematologists-oncologists treat patients at UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange and UCI Health Cancer Center – Newport and are members of the National Cancer Institute-designated Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, one of only 48 NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the nation.
It is only comprehensive cancer center in Orange County and its mission includes advancing scientific research and managing clinical trials in all phases, leading to potentially life-saving drugs and treatments.
The Quality Oncology Practice Initiative is a voluntary self-assessment and improvement program developed by ASCO to help hematology and oncology practices gauge the caliber of care they provide. Encompassing at least 80 quality measures, it lets practices compare their performance data to that of others across the country and identify areas for improvement.
“Our physicians, nurses, pharmacists, social workers and cancer center staff work together to meet the highest standards of quality cancer care while providing disease-specific expertise,” Nelson said. “Their work complements UC Irvine’s strength in laboratory research and clinical trials that have always been hallmarks of our academic medical center and which embody our three-part mission: Discover. Teach. Heal.”
UCI Health first achieved the three-year certification in July 2010, shortly after ASCO launched the quality program. It was the first practice in California, the first at an academic medical center and the first practice in the U.S. directly affiliated with a NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center to obtain QOPI certification. In 2013, UCI Health was among the first hematology-oncology practices to be recertified. Only 13 hematology-oncology practices in California now have this certification.
The QOPI Certification Program is a project of the Institute for Quality, an ASCO affiliate dedicated to innovative quality improvement programs. The QCP™ builds on ASCO’s Quality Oncology Practice Initiative by providing the three-year certification For more information, please visit: http://www.instituteforquality.org/.
About ASCO: Founded in 1964, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Inc. is committed to making a world of difference in cancer care. As the world’s leading organization of its kind, ASCO represents more than 40,000 oncology professionals who care for people living with cancer. Through research, education, and promotion of the highest-quality patient care, ASCO works to conquer cancer and create a world where cancer is prevented or cured, and every survivor is healthy. ASCO is supported by its affiliate organization, the Conquer Cancer Foundation. Learn more at www.ASCO.org, explore patient education resources at www.Cancer.Net, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
UCI Health comprises the clinical, medical education and research enterprises of the University of California, Irvine. Patients can access UCI Health at physician offices throughout Orange County and at its main campus, UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange, Calif., a 411-bed acute care hospital that provides tertiary and quaternary care, ambulatory and specialty medical clinics, behavioral health and rehabilitation. U.S. News & World Report has listed it among America’s Best Hospitals for 15 consecutive years. UC Irvine Medical Center features Orange County’s only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, high-risk perinatal/neonatal program, Level I trauma center and Level II pediatric trauma center, and is the primary teaching hospital for UC Irvine School of Medicine. UCI Health serves a region of more than 3 million people in Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 30,000 students and offers 192 degree programs. It’s located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $5 billion annually to the local economy. For more on UCI, visit www.uci.edu.