COLUMBUS, Miss., April 15, 2024– The Quality Oncology Practice Initiative Certification Program, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Association for Clinical Oncology and an affiliate of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, has awarded Baptist Cancer Center-Golden Triangle a three-year certification for outpatient hematology-oncology practices for meeting nationally recognized standards for quality cancer care.
“Our specialists at Baptist Cancer Center-Golden Triangle are very proud to receive this certification from the Association for Clinical Oncology,” said Rob Coleman, CEO and administrator of Baptist Golden Triangle. “This recognition demonstrates our cancer team’s expertise and emphasizes their commitment to providing high-quality care for patients.
To gain certification, Baptist Cancer Center-Golden Triangle participated in a voluntary comprehensive site assessment and successfully met clearly specified standards and objectives of the QOPI Certification Program, which includes scoring above threshold on key QOPI quality measures and meeting chemotherapy safety standards established by ASCO and the Oncology Nursing Society.
“QOPI-certified practices work diligently to ensure that their patients receive the highest quality of care possible,” said Board Chair of ASCO Dr. Everett E. Vokes, Fellow of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. “By going through the certification process, practices are ensuring that patients are at the focus of their work, striving for better patient experiences and outcomes.”
The QOPI Certification Program was launched in January 2010, and more than 300 practices are certified. The certification for outpatient oncology practices is the first program of its kind for oncology in the United States, and in 2016 was expanded internationally.
QOPI-certified practices must meet the following core standards in the following areas:
- Creating a safe environment — staffing, competencies and general policy
- Treatment planning, patient consent and education
- Ordering, preparing, dispensing and administering chemotherapy
- Monitoring after chemotherapy is administered, including adherence, toxicity and complications
- Treatment planning
- Staff training and education
- Chemotherapy orders and drug preparation
- Patient consent and education
- Safe chemotherapy administration
- Monitoring and assessment of patient well-being
The QOPI Certification Program, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Association for Clinical Oncology and an affiliate of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, is dedicated to recognizing exemplary commitment to safety and quality in oncology patient care. Practices that have achieved QOPI Certification have scored well on key QOPI quality measures and have met chemotherapy safety standards established by the Society and the Oncology Nursing Society in various areas of treatment and chemotherapy safety. Learn more about the society at www.ASCO.org, explore patient education resources at www.Cancer.Net. Learn more about the Association at www.ascoassociation.org and follow on Twitter.
With 323 beds, Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle is one of the largest regional hospitals affiliated with Baptist Memorial Health Care. More than 100 physicians and surgeons, representing almost every medical specialty, practice at the hospital that offers a full range of comprehensive medical care to patients of all ages. In addition to the Baptist Cancer Center in Columbus and Starkville, the hospital offers a variety of other services to the community, including Baptist Behavioral Health Care, for those with behavioral and mental health problems; an extensive rehabilitation department; and free community education programs for the public. Baptist Golden Triangle is the only hospital in Mississippi and one of only 18 in the U.S. to have achieved Straight ‘A’s in Leapfrog’s Hospital Safety Score since 2012. For more information, please call 662-244-1000, visit goldentriangle.baptistonline.org or follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/BaptistGoldenTriangle.
