Central Georgia Cancer Care is excited to announce that they have achieved certification through the Association for Clinical Oncology’s (ASCO) Patient-Centered Cancer Care Certification pilot based on its adherence to oncology medical home (OMH) standards, a single set of comprehensive, expert-backed standards for patient-centered care delivery. Central Georgia Cancer Care is one of the first nine oncology centers awarded this certification across the country. Published by the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the Community Oncology Alliance (COA), these standards focus on seven different domains of cancer care: patient engagement; availability and access to care; evidence-based medicine; equitable and comprehensive team-based care; quality improvement; goals of care, palliative and end-of-life care discussions; and chemotherapy safety.

“This is an indescribable honor for all of us at Central Georgia Cancer Care, and a testimony to the commitment our team has to deliver the highest level of oncology care to our patients,” said Linda Hendricks, M.D., Managing Partner for Central Georgia Cancer Care. “In September of 2021, we announced that we were selected as one of the few independent, community-based oncology practices for the pilot program. One year later, we’re proud to have surpassed industry standards and to have achieved this incredible certification. We are thrilled to demonstrate our continued commitment to providing high-quality cancer care through this certification.”

Central Georgia Cancer Care’s two cancer care sites in Macon and Warner Robins, along with all four of their oncologists (Linda K. Hendricks, M.D., Bradley T. Sumrall, M.D., Harry F. Moore, Jr., M.D., and Marcus K. Weldon, MD) participated in the pilot program.

Beginning in July 2021, Central Georgia Cancer Care, along with 11 other practices in the United States, prepared for surveyors to conduct site visits to performance relative to each OMH standard of care. With guidance from surveyors, Central Georgia Cancer Care then undertook intensive practice transformation, including the development of new and/or improved workflow processes, staff education and training on the new initiatives, and compliance data monitoring to demonstrate success at meeting the standards. To achieve certification, practices needed to meet a total of 17 care delivery standards and 22 chemotherapy safety standards, for a total of 39 standards.

Central Georgia Cancer Care will continue to work with surveyors to review quality improvement initiatives, patient satisfaction surveys, and oncology clinical pathways utilization, as well as data on quality measures, such as advance care planning, depression screening, chemotherapy in the last 14 days of life, and pain assessment to maintain certification and demonstrate its continued commitment to providing high-quality cancer care.

“We commend all of the certified practices for their achievement and dedication to transforming their practice. By doing the work to meet these standards and achieve certification, these practices are better equipped to succeed in a value-based system and deliver high-quality, equitable, evidence-based care for every single patient,” Lori J. Pierce, MD, FASTRO, FASCO, Chair of the Board of the Association for Clinical Oncology.

The pilot is slated to end in Summer 2023. Over the next year, Central Georgia Cancer Care will continue to work on quality assessment and improvement activities to maintain their certification.