CoC-accredited cancer programs must meet or exceed 34 CoC quality-care standards, be evaluated every three years and maintain levels of excellence in the delivery of comprehensive patient-centered care.
The programs offered by the Cancer Treatment and Wellness Center at NWH focus on the full spectrum of cancer care including prevention, early diagnosis, cancer staging, optimal treatment, rehabilitation, life-long follow-up for recurrent disease and end-of-life care.
Patients receiving care at NWH have access to clinical trials, leading-edge technologies such as the Gamma Knife Perfexion, genetic counseling and patient-centered services.
NWH takes a multidisciplinary approach to treating cancer as a complex group of diseases that requires consultation among surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, diagnostic radiologists, pathologists and cancer specialists.
“At Northern Westchester Hospital, we pride ourselves on treating the person, not just the disease," said Thomas Lester, MD, chief of hematology/oncology and chairman of the cancer committee, NWH.
"We recognize that complete treatment is found in combining medical treatments and complementary wellness services such as nutritional consultation, access to fitness classes, emotional support and integrative medicine into a plan of care that meets each patient’s individual needs."
"Our Center provides patients access to leading-edge therapies, previously found only in big city hospitals, in the comfort of their own community.”
Like all CoC-accredited hospitals, NWH maintains a cancer registry and contributes data to the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB), a joint program of the CoC and American Cancer Society (ACS).
This nationwide oncology outcomes database is the largest clinical disease registry in the world. Data on all types of cancer are tracked and analyzed through the NCDB and used to explore trends in cancer care.
CoC-accredited cancer centers have access to information derived from the data analysis, which is used to create reports.
The CoC provides the public with information on the resources, services and cancer treatment experience through the CoC Hospital Locator.