[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 503 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 503

Recognizing the importance of cancer program accreditation in ensuring 
       comprehensive, high-quality, patient-centered cancer care.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 6, 2017

  Ms. Jenkins of Kansas (for herself and Mr. Thompson of California) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                         on Energy and Commerce

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                               RESOLUTION


 
Recognizing the importance of cancer program accreditation in ensuring 
       comprehensive, high-quality, patient-centered cancer care.

Whereas accreditation from the American College of Surgeons is a voluntary 
        commitment by a cancer program that ensures patients will have access to 
        the full scope of services required to diagnose, treat, rehabilitate, 
        and support patients with cancer and their families;
Whereas the Commission on Cancer, established in 1922, is a consortium of 
        professional organizations dedicated to improving survival and quality 
        of life for cancer patients and their families;
Whereas the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers represents a 
        consortium of national, professional organizations dedicated to the 
        improvement of the quality of care and monitoring of outcomes of 
        patients with diseases of the breast;
Whereas the American College of Surgeons accredited cancer programs are 
        expanding into programs in rectal cancer, vascular medicine, complex 
        gastrointestinal problems, and other areas to further the value 
        proposition of common oncologic conditions;
Whereas accreditation allows cancer programs to continually evaluate performance 
        and take proactive, corrective actions when necessary;
Whereas continuous evaluation reaffirms the commitment of the cancer program to 
        provide high-quality, patient-centered cancer care;
Whereas accreditation is regarded as important in improving oncologic outcomes 
        through compliance with standards that include continuous quality 
        improvement;
Whereas quality standards required for accreditation assure that patients 
        receive comprehensive care with a multidisciplinary team approach to 
        coordinate the best available treatment options;
Whereas patients treated by accredited cancer programs receive information about 
        ongoing cancer clinical trials and new treatment options, and access to 
        a cancer database that offers lifelong patient followup;
Whereas accreditation promotes access to prevention and early detection 
        programs, cancer education, and support services;
Whereas patients treated in accredited cancer programs have access to the full 
        continuum of patient-centered care including distress screening, patient 
        navigation, and delivery of survivorship care plans that detail 
        treatments received and provide detailed information on future care 
        needs;
Whereas accreditation requires evaluation of the entire scope, organization, and 
        activity of a cancer program by external peer review from specially 
        trained surveyors who evaluate compliance with stringent standards 
        designed to promote high-quality care;
Whereas the quality reporting tools from the over 30,000,000 cases reported to 
        the Commission on Cancer's National Cancer Database provide feedback 
        needed to initiate quality improvement studies which ultimately lead to 
        implementation of quality improvements in accredited cancer programs;
Whereas the cancer accreditation programs of the American College of Surgeons 
        use data submitted to such Database to verify and improve quality of 
        care in cancer programs and to further scientific research; and
Whereas the American College of Surgeons accredited cancer programs in the 
        United States and Puerto Rico care for approximately 70 percent of newly 
        diagnosed cancer patients in the United States: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives recognizes the 
importance of accreditation of cancer programs by the American College 
of Surgeons for the purpose of assuring patient access to high-quality, 
comprehensive cancer care.
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