BETHESDA, Md. (April 12, 2010) – The Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons (ACoS) has awarded Suburban Hospital’s Cancer Program the 2009 Outstanding Achievement Award. This award comes on the heels of a recent three-year Accreditation with Commendation from the ACoS.

The Outstanding Achievement Award honors programs that strive for excellence in providing quality care to cancer patients. Programs receive the designation through rigorous on-site evaluations which must demonstrate compliance within a series of cancer program standards, including: cancer committee leadership, cancer data management, clinical services, research, community outreach, and quality improvement.  In 2009, only 82 programs nation-wide received the award.

“This award recognizes our cancer program, its physicians, and its staff for their expertise and dedication to providing the highest level of compassionate, patient care,” says Susan Stinson, MD, Cancer Program Medical Director “Our affiliation with the National Cancer Institute means that our patients have access, not only to high quality treatment options, but also to the latest research being conducted in the cancer field."

The Commission on Cancer is a consortium of professional organizations, including Fellows of the American College of Surgeons and representatives of 40 national organizations that reflect the full spectrum of cancer care.  

Suburban Hospital, a member of Johns Hopkins Medicine, is a not-for-profit, community-based hospital in Bethesda, Maryland, that has served Montgomery County and the surrounding area for more than 65 years. Suburban Hospital is distinguished by a cutting-edge stroke program; level II trauma center; centers of excellence in cardiac care, orthopedics and joint replacement surgery, neurosciences and oncology; state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment tools; and affiliations with world-class institutions, including the neighboring National Institutes of Health.

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