Courtesy Photo The MyMichigan Radiation Oncology team is pictured in Alpena. The Radiation Oncology program at MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena was recently awarded reaccreditation from the Accreditation Program for Excellence (APEx). It validates a radiation oncology facilities’ excellence in delivering high-quality patient care.

ALPENA — The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) recently awarded reaccreditation to MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena for adopting procedures to encourage safety and quality of care in compliance with the standards of the Accreditation Program for Excellence (APEx). APEx is an accreditation program developed by ASTRO that validates a radiation oncology facility’s excellence in delivering high-quality patient care.

“We are very pleased to have received APEx reaccreditation from ASTRO, the largest radiation oncology society in the world,” said MyMichigan Radiation Oncology Medical Director Mario Lacerna, M.D. “Our entire radiation oncology team was invested in evaluating our processes to meet ASTRO’s high standards for safety and quality. Securing APEx reaccreditation serves to reinforce our obligation to deliver consistent patient-centered cancer care.”

“ASTRO commends the Cancer Center for achieving APEx reaccreditation. By undergoing this comprehensive review, the facility has demonstrated a strong commitment to delivering safe, high-quality radiation oncology services to its patients,” said Thomas J. Eichler, M.D., FASTRO, chair of the ASTRO Board of Directors.

Accreditation through APEx is a voluntary, rigorous multi-step process during which a facility’s practices are evaluated using consensus-based standards. The center must demonstrate its safety and quality processes and prove that it adheres to patient-centered care by promoting effective communication, coordinated treatments and strong patient engagement.

The APEx accreditation process includes a facility self-assessment as well as a comprehensive onsite facility review by a radiation oncologist and a medical physicist. The program reflects the recommendations endorsed in the ASTRO publication “Safety is No Accident: A Framework for Quality Radiation Oncology and Care.” To date, more than 170 U.S. facilities have earned APEx accreditation.

APEx is a registered trademark of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).