September 17, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Eau Claire, Wis., - The Center for Cancer Treatment & Prevention at Sacred Heart Hospital last week received renewed accreditation with commendation from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (CoC). Sacred Heart Hospital’s program is the only cancer treatment program in western Wisconsin accredited by this group.

The Center for Cancer Treatment & Prevention exceeded CoC expectations in the areas of outcomes analysis and clinical trials and access. The Center was also commended for its Tumor Conference (a multidisciplinary discussion of cancer cases to explore care options).

During the visit, the CoC surveyor complimented the Center’s comprehensive care, the interaction of the medical specialist and the commitment of the staff to the patients.

"The surveyor was very impressed that our cancer program has more than 100 clinical trials open for patients and that we have so many patients enrolled," said Sue Peiffer, director of Cancer Services at Sacred Heart Hospital. "He indicated that this was remarkable for a community hospital and was very complimentary of our Cancer Registry which abstracts all charts and links together all program components."

Applying for and maintaining CoC Approval is a voluntary commitment by a cancer program that ensures its patients will have access to the full scope of services required to diagnose, treat, rehabilitate, and support patients with cancer and their families.

"As we continue to grow, this solid foundation will prove invaluable to our hospital’s ability to increase services to our community," added Assistant Administrator Vic Galfano.

As a CoC-accredited program, the Center for Cancer Treatment & Prevention at Sacred Heart Hospital offers comprehensive care including: a complete range of state-of-the-art services and equipment, such as Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), which can treat tumors previously considered untreatable and can reduce the risk of complications or reoccurrences; a multidisciplinary team approach to coordinate the best available treatment options; information about ongoing cancer clinical trials and new treatment options; access to prevention and early detection programs, cancer education, and support services; a cancer registry that offers lifelong patient follow-up; and ongoing monitoring and improvements in cancer care.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) advises women with an especially high risk of developing breast cancer to get magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans in addition to their yearly mammogram, according to an ACS guideline released in March 2007. The two tests together give doctors a better chance of finding breast cancer early in these women, when it is easier to treat and the chance of survival is greatest.

Sacred Heart Hospital’s diagnostic imaging technology, such as its 3.0 Tesla MRI, is the most sophisticated between Minneapolis and Madison with the capabilities to identify cancer at a very early stage to treat earlier and improve patient outcomes. The 3.0 Tesla high-definition MRI is the latest advance in clinical MRI technology, with the highest clinical magnet field-strength available in the marketplace. Sacred Heart Hospital is the only hospital in the region to offer this gold standard in MRI technology, allowing for greatly increased imaging accuracy and better detection of diseases such as cancer. And unlike traditional MRIs that can only scan one breast at a time─requiring multiple patient visits─the hospital’s 3.0 Tesla enables women to have both breasts scanned at the same time, during the same visit.

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