Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, BETHESDA, MD  –   If the unfortunate happens and you or a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer, it may be of some comfort to know that the center where you choose to receive treatment is nationally recognized for its commitment to continually improve the quality of its care.

That is the case with the John P. Murtha Cancer Center (MCC) at Walter Reed, again accredited by the Academic Comprehensive Cancer Program of the Commission on Cancer (CoC), a professional organization dedicated to improving survival and quality of life for cancer patients.

Every three years, the MCC seeks CoC accreditation, undergoing an intensive survey of the quality of cancer care and services it provides its beneficiaries. The CoC’s recent survey of the MCC took place Feb. 27, explained retired Army Col. (Dr.) Jeremy Perkins, deputy director for the Hematopoietic Stem Cell Program and chair of the MCC’s Cancer Care Committee.

“[The MCC’s] Cancer Committee, of which there are many members throughout the hospital, meets regularly during the year to ensure that we are meeting the requirements and standards for this accreditation,” Perkins explained. In addition to Perkins, a medical oncologist, the committee includes pathologists, surgeons, diagnostic radiologists, radiation oncologists, oncology nurses, social workers/case managers, certified tumor registrars, survivorship program coordinators, psychosocial services coordinators, quality improvement coordinators, cancer registry quality coordinators, and others.

The CoC was established in 1922. “We have continuously maintained [CoC] accreditation as an Academic Comprehensive Cancer Program since 1951,” Perkins explained about the cancer programs at the current Walter Reed and its predecessors, Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the National Naval Medical Center. He explained the CoC accreditation process requires that [the MCC]:

- Provides a structure and methodology for continuous improvement in oncology care.

- Improves communication between different departments/services within the hospital.

- Drives multidisciplinary care.

- Provides quality metrics/benchmarks of cancer care to ensure alignment with national guidelines and allows comparison with other accredited hospitals at the state, region, and national level.

- Demonstrates publicly a commitment to quality.

- Demonstrates accountability to stakeholders (military health beneficiaries, and leadership including those at the military treatment facility, Defense Health Agency, Department of Defense, and U.S. Government).

Establishing and maintaining accreditation from the CoC is a voluntary commitment by MCC, Perkins added. He explained that this signifies the MCC’s commitment to provide the best cancer care, including diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation while also supporting families.

The MCC also includes a world-class research program with the Uniformed Services University. Researchers in the MCC Research Program remain at the forefront of innovative cancer studies. Its translational cancer research programs include the Center for Prostate Disease Research (CPDR), Clinical Breast Care Project (CBCP), and Gynecologic Cancer Translational Research Center (GYN CoE).

Clinical cores of the MCC, which is the Department of Defense’s only Cancer Center of Excellence, include: Medical/Hematology Oncology; Surgical Oncology; Orthopedic Oncology; Gynecological Oncology; Dermatology Oncology; Breast Center; Radiation Oncology; Pediatric Oncology; Thoracic Oncology; Palliative Care; Urologic Oncology; Family Services; Biobank; Clinical Genetics; Prostate Center; Nutrition Oncology; In-Patient Services; and the Cancer Committee.

The MCC also works and collaborates with a number of other agencies including the National Cancer Institute, Joint Pathology Center, Veterans Administration Cancer Centers, and a number of additional institutes and laboratories to improve cancer diagnosis, research, and care.

“An average of 1,600 active-duty service members are diagnosed with cancer every year,” according to retired U.S. Army Col. (Dr.) Craig Shriver, director of the MCC and MCCRP. A Pentagon directive tasked the MCC with addressing cancer as a readiness issue because diagnosis and treatment can take a service member “out of the fight” for a significant period.

Walter Reed’s Director, U.S. Navy Capt. (Dr.) Melissa Austin, echoed Dr. Shriver’s sentiments, emphasizing the increasing incidence of cancer in the active-duty population, enhanced outcomes achieved by the MCC, and the value to the enterprise of treating complex cancer patients.

“Walter Reed provides about one-third of initial training for the military medical force and conducts about a third of Military Health System’s research, and the MCC and our Medical and Surgical Oncology programs are vital to the Military Health System’s readiness to respond to the nation’s call. We are honored to host and support the MCC and are incredibly proud of its continued Committee on Cancer accreditation,” Austin said.

In addition to the Academic Comprehensive Cancer Program of the Commission on Cancer, the MCC has also earned nationally recognition and accreditation by a number of other organizations, including the National Accreditation Program of Breast Centers, the College of American Pathology/Biorepository Accreditation, the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy, the American College of Radiology/Breast Imaging Center, the Center to Advance Palliative Care, and the Testicular Cancer Center of Excellence.