AHS Cancer Institute In An Elite Group
Sonora, CA – For a second time, Adventist Health Sonora’s (AHS) cancer institute has met nationally recognized standards for quality care.
This certification puts the Diana J. White Cancer Institute into an elite group of only 16 cancer centers in California. It earned the re-certification from the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI®), an affiliate of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO®). The three-year certification program is for outpatient hematology-oncology practices and meeting nationally recognized standards for quality cancer care. The institute initially received QOPI® certification in 2018.
“I am so proud of our team for receiving this certification,” Adventist Health Sonora President Michelle Fuentes said. “The entire oncology team has worked hard to demonstrate the highest standards of care for our patients, and QOPI recognition affirms that.”
QOPI® is a voluntary self-assessment and improvement program started by ASCO® in 2006. It assists hematology-oncology and medical oncology practices assess the quality of the care they provide to patients, according to hospital officials. They added that to become certified, practices must submit to an evaluation of their entire practice and documentation standards. There is also an on-site survey done. AHS detailed it verifies that the evaluation and documents are correct and that the practices met core standards in areas of treatment, including:
- Creating a safe environment
- Staff training and education
- Treatment planning
- Patient consent and education
- Safe chemotherapy administration
- Monitoring and assessment of patient well-being
