UK HealthCare earns elite pediatric cancer care accreditation
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 31, 2025) — UK HealthCare recently received Pediatric Specialty Accreditation from the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Commission on Cancer (CoC). The designation marks high standards in treating children and teens with cancer.
To receive Pediatric Specialty Accreditation, pediatric oncology programs must meet strict national standards and offer young patients a full range of cancer care services, from diagnosis through treatment and follow-up care.
At UK, pediatric patients with cancer may receive treatment at the Kentucky Children’s Hospital’s Danceblue Pediatric Hematology & Oncology clinic and/or the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center.
Scottie B. Day, M.D., physician-in-chief at Kentucky Children’s Hospital, says the accreditation reflects years of work to build strong cancer care for Kentucky’s children.
“This is a great example of collaboration with Markey Cancer Center and Kentucky Children’s Hospital,” said Day. “It represents the knowledge, experience and hard work of all the teams that encompass comprehensive care for children with cancer: pathology, radiology, surgery and radiation oncology.”
“This accreditation recognizes our unwavering commitment to providing world-class cancer care for children,” said B. Mark Evers, M.D., director of the Markey Cancer Center. “It assures Kentucky families that their children can receive the highest quality cancer treatment close to home.”
The Commission on Cancer, which grants the accreditation, is a group within the American College of Surgeons that works to improve cancer care quality across the country. It recently began offering this special recognition to existing CoC-accredited facilities that excel in treating young patients with cancer. To maintain pediatric specialty accreditation, centers must keep high standards through regular reviews and site visits every three years.
Accredited pediatric oncology programs are required to participate in cancer-related clinical research, including the enrollment of patients in cancer-related clinical trials. Research is made possible in part through the resources available with the Markey Cancer Center being designated a National Cancer Institute (NCI) Comprehensive Cancer Center.
The new pediatric accreditation adds to the UK Markey Cancer Center’s CoC accreditation as an Academic Comprehensive Cancer Program. CoC accreditation is granted to institutions committed to providing high-quality cancer care by demonstrating compliance with the CoC standards. Each cancer program must undergo a rigorous evaluation and review of its performance and compliance with the CoC standards. The CoC accreditation standards supply the structure for providing all patients with a full range of diagnostic, treatment, and supportive services either on-site or by referral, including community-based resources. Learn more about the CoC Accreditation Program.