COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Bassett Cancer Institute has earned continuing accreditation from the Commission on Cancer, a national quality program of the American College of Surgeons. Bassett’s cancer program has been continuously accredited since 1947.
The achieve the accreditation, the institute underwent a rigorous site assessment to confirm compliance with accreditation standards that evaluate the cancer services offered by the program.
“Congratulations to all, as this was truly a multidisciplinary team effort,” institute Dr. Alfred Tinger, Bassett Cancer Institute medical director, said in a press release announcing the accreditation. “To all the staff, Cancer Committee members and alternates, colleagues in surgery, pathology, radiology, palliative care, rehabilitation, social work, and administration, we thank you for continuing to provide the best quality of care and support to our patients.”
As an accredited cancer center, the Bassett Cancer Institute applies a multidisciplinary approach and treats cancer as a complex group of diseases that requires consultation among surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, diagnostic radiologists, pathologists, and other health-care professionals that specialize in caring for cancer patients. A team of nutritionists, social workers, financial counselors, and nurse navigators are included in the care team, Bassett said.
The Commission on Cancer is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival and quality of life for patients with cancer by setting and raising standards. The organization promotes cancer prevention, research, education, and monitoring of comprehensive care.
Bassett Healthcare Network is a clinical trial site for the Alpha DaRT investigational treatment for recurrent skin cancers under the direction of Dr. Timothy Korytko, chief radiation oncologist, and Stephen Iorio, chief radiation physicist and radiation safety officer.
Bassett also offers radiopharmaceutical treatments with two new therapies — Lutathera, a therapy for neuroendocrine cancer, and Pluvicto, a treatment for metastatic prostate cancer.
The Bassett Cancer Institute has locations at Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown, FoxCare in Oneonta, Bassett Herkimer Specialty Services in Herkimer, and Cobleskill Regional Hospital in Cobleskill.