Fall River, Mass. – Saint Anne’s Hospital has been awarded a new three-year term of accreditation in radiation oncology as the result of a recent review by the American College of Radiology (ACR).
Radiation oncology, also known as radiation therapy, is the careful use of high-energy radiation to treat cancer. Radiation therapy may be used to cure cancer or to relieve cancer pain.
“Accreditation by the American College of Radiology in radiation oncology is the gold standard,” said Raymond L. Dugal, MD, Saint Anne’s chief of radiation oncology. “Re-accreditation underscores our ongoing commitment to providing safe, progressively sophisticated radiation therapy for since it was introduced at Saint Anne’s in 1979.”
Dr. Dugal noted that Saint Anne’s was the first hospital in the area to earn ACR accreditation in 2010. He cited the program’s team for working together to continually enhance the program’s radiation therapy program at its locations in Fall River and North Dartmouth. The team includes board-certified radiation oncology physicians, radiation oncology board-certified medical physicists, dosimetrists, therapists, and oncology-certified registered nurses, as well as registered dietitians, social workers, chaplains, and other support staff who specialize in cancer care.
“Through our team’s expertise and adherence to rigorous standards of quality care, Saint Anne’s Hospital has led the way in the Greater Fall River-New Bedford area in providing advanced cancer care,” Dr. Dugal said. “We are proud of having a well-developed, mature program, staffed by highly trained and experienced clinicians who provide safe, effective and expert care to our patients.”
Since 1992, Saint Anne’s Hospital Regional Cancer Center’s radiation therapy services have been provided in collaboration with radiation physician specialists from Brigham and Women's Physician Organization who hold appointments at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
The hospital’s Radiation Oncology program offers a wide range of cancer treatment choices and technologies at its Hudner Oncology Center at Saint Anne’s Hospital in Fall River and Saint Anne’s Hospital Regional Cancer Center in North Dartmouth. These include multidimensional CT technology for state-of-the-art treatment planning and four linear accelerators that provide state-of-the art external beam therapy, stereotactic radiosurgery, stereotactic body radiation therapy, intensity-modulated radiation therapy , high-dose rate radiation therapy, and image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT). Each modality has specific, high-level applications for treatment of certain cancers, including brain and other neurological tumors; gynecologic, breast and skin cancers; tumors in the chest and abdomen that may move with normal breathing; and cancers of the head and neck, lung, pelvic region, and other sites.
In addition to ACR accreditation, Saint Anne’s cancer program has also been recognized with the Women’s Choice Award as one of “America’s Best Hospitals in Cancer Care” in 2016 and 2017. The Women’s Choice Award signifies that Saint Anne’s is among 412 hospitals in the top 8% of 4,789 U.S. hospitals offering cancer care services.
About the American College of Radiology accreditation program
The American College of Radiology is the nation’s oldest and most widely accepted radiation oncology accrediting body, with more than 650 accredited sites and 29 years of accreditation experience. The ACR seal of accreditation represents the highest level of quality and patient safety. It is awarded only to facilities meeting specific Practice Guidelines and Technical Standards developed by ACR after a peer-review evaluation by board-certified radiation oncologists and medical physicists who are experts in the field. Patient care and treatment, patient safety, personnel qualifications, adequacy of facility equipment, quality control procedures, and quality assurance programs are assessed. The findings are reported to the ACR Committee on Radiation Oncology Accreditation, which subsequently provides the practice with a comprehensive report they can use for continuous practice improvement.
About Saint Anne’s Hospital
Founded by the Dominican Sisters of the Presentation in 1906, Saint Anne’s Hospital in Fall River, Massachusetts, is a full-service, acute care Catholic hospital with 185 beds and satellite locations in Attleboro, Swansea, Dartmouth, New Bedford, and Stoughton, Massachusetts. A member of Steward Health Care, Saint Anne’s provides nationally recognized patient- and family-centered inpatient care (including all private rooms) and outpatient clinical services to patients from surrounding Massachusetts and Rhode Island communities. In addition to comprehensive diagnostic, medical, surgical, and emergency services, Saint Anne’s key services include Saint Anne’s Hospital Regional Cancer Center; the Joint Commission-certified Center for Orthopedic Excellence; ambulatory surgery centers in Attleboro and Dartmouth; the Center for Pain Management in Swansea and Dartmouth; and geriatric psychiatry services at locations in Fall River and Stoughton.