UF Health Proton Therapy Institute earns ACR accreditation
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Sept. 10, 2018) — The American College of Radiology has awarded a three-year term of accreditation in radiation oncology to the University of Florida Health Proton Therapy Institute. This is the second consecutive accreditation awarded to the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute and is a distinction earned by facilities that meet or exceed national standards in radiation oncology.
Of the 27 proton therapy centers in the U.S., the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute is one of 11, and the only one in Jacksonville, to earn the ACR seal of accreditation representing the highest level of quality and patient safety.
ACR reviewers described the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute as a “high-quality, well-staffed, well-organized facility and operation,” and commended it for its “clear documentation and high safety measures” as well as for following “guidelines for therapy decisions and practice.”
Nancy P. Mendenhall, M.D., medical director of the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute and associate chair and a professor of radiation oncology at the UF College of Medicine, said the accreditation is a testament to the medical team’s commitment to excellence.
“We are a regional resource for proton therapy, and patients rely on us to deliver safe, effective cancer treatment,’’ she said. “It is an honor to earn this recognition from a panel of peers who are tasked with providing a rigorous, impartial review.”
The ACR is the nation’s oldest and most widely accepted radiation oncology accrediting body, with over 700 accredited sites and 30 years of accreditation experience. The ACR seal of accreditation 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.
The UF Health Proton Therapy Institute, open in Jacksonville since Aug. 14, 2006, uses the most advanced radiation therapy technology available to treat and cure cancer. Proton therapy delivers a precise radiation treatment while destroying cancer cells and minimizing damage to healthy tissue. Proton therapy reduces side effects and lessens the risk of developing complications from treatment in later life. It is especially beneficial for treating cancer in children and adults with cancers in sensitive areas like the head, neck, lung, breast, brain and prostate.
The UF Health Proton Therapy Institute is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization affiliated with the UF College of Medicine and the UF Health Cancer Center, a Florida Cancer Center of Excellence, dedicated to delivering state-of-the-art cancer treatment and setting new standards for treating and curing cancer. The cancer treatment facility houses both conventional radiation and proton therapy, and delivers proton therapy to 100 patients a day. For more information about the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute, please visit www.floridaproton.org, or call toll-free 877-428-2087.
The ACR is a national professional organization serving more than 36,000 diagnostic/interventional radiologists, radiation oncologists, nuclear medicine physicians and medical physicists with programs focusing on the practice of medical imaging and radiation oncology and the delivery of comprehensive health care services.