UAMS Hematology/Oncology Division Receives National Certification
| LITTLE ROCK – The Hematology/Oncology Division at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has received a national certification for its high standard of care.
The division is the only program in central Arkansas to be recognized by the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI®) Certification Program, an affiliate of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). The QOPI® Certification Program certifies oncology practices that meet the highest quality standards for cancer care. The UAMS Division of Hematology/Oncology provides care for patients in the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute.
“We have worked for more than a year to review and streamline our practices to ensure that every patient continues to receive the highest possible quality of care. Everyone in our division, from doctors to nurses to pharmacists, are dedicated to this quality assurance program,” said Issam Makhoul, M.D., Hematology/Oncology Division director and associate professor in the UAMS College of Medicine’s Department of Internal Medicine.
QOPI® is a voluntary self-assessment and improvement program launched by ASCO in 2006 to help hematology/oncology and medical oncology practices assess the quality of the care they provide to patients. The QOPI® Certification Program (QCP™) was launched in January 2010. Out of the 4,350 oncology practices in the United States only 248 practices are certified, and certifications last for three years.
The QCP seal designates those practices that not only scored high on the key QOPI quality measures, but meet rigorous chemotherapy safety standards established by ASCO and the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS).
“QOPI provides oncology practices with the information needed to evaluate and continually improve the quality of care they provide for patients,” said ASCO President Peter Paul Yu, M.D. “Since its start in 2010, The QOPI Certification Program allows practices to maintain their commitment to excellence by providing the best possible care for patients with cancer.”
To become certified, practices have to submit to an evaluation of their entire practice and documentation standards. The QCP staff and steering group members then verify through on-site inspection that the evaluation and documents are correct and that the practices met core standards in areas of treatment, including:
- 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 is a project of ASCO’s Institute for Quality, an ASCO affiliate dedicated to innovative quality improvement programs. For information, visit http://qopi.asco.org/certification.html.
Founded in 1964, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is the world’s leading professional organization representing physicians who care for people with cancer. With nearly 35,000 members, ASCO is committed to improving cancer care through scientific meetings, educational programs and peer-reviewed journals. ASCO is supported by its affiliate organization, the Conquer Cancer Foundation, which funds ground-breaking research and programs that make a tangible difference in the lives of people with cancer. For ASCO information and resources, visit www.asco.org. Patient-oriented cancer information is available at www.cancer.net.
UAMS is the state’s only comprehensive academic health center, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a northwest Arkansas regional campus; a statewide network of regional centers; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, the Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, the Myeloma Institute, the Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, the Psychiatric Research Institute, the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging and the Translational Research Institute. It is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 2,890 students and 782 medical residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 10,000 employees, including about 1,000 physicians and other professionals who provide care to patients at UAMS, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the VA Medical Center and UAMS regional centers throughout the state. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com.