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Home News Director of Cancer Institute Appointed to Commission on Cancer Position

Director of Cancer Institute Appointed to Commission on Cancer Position

Published: Thursday, March 20, 2008

John L. Bell, MD, FACS, director of the Cancer Institute at The University of Tennessee Medical Center, recently received a three-year appointment as Cancer Liaison Physician for the cancer program at UT Medical Center. Cancer Liaison Physicians are an integral part of cancer programs accredited by the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer (CoC).

Dr. Bell is among a national network of more than 1,600 volunteer physicians who are responsible for providing leadership and direction to establish, maintain, and support their facilities’ cancer program. Dr. Bell, who has a significant interest in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with malignant disease, is a member of the multidisciplinary cancer committee at The University of Tennessee Medical Center, an institution which is dedicated to facilitating the delivery of comprehensive quality cancer care.

Cancer Liaison Physicians are responsible for spearheading CoC initiatives within their cancer programs; collaborating with local agencies, such as the American Cancer Society (ACS); and facilitating quality improvement initiatives utilizing data submitted to the CoC’s National Cancer Database (NCDB). The CoC collects data from its approved cancer programs and provides tools back to these facilities to facilitate the analysis of patterns of diagnosis and treatment.

The Cancer Liaison Physician works with the cancer program staff to facilitate the submission, presentation, use, and interpretation of NCDB data. Analyzing and sharing these data with the cancer committee can have a positive impact on cancer patient care at the facility.

The Commission on Cancer is a consortium of 42 professional organizations dedicated to improving the survival and quality of life for cancer patients. The Commission achieves its goal through standard-setting, cancer prevention, research, educational activities, as well as monitoring comprehensive quality care.

There currently are more than 1,400 CoC-accredited cancer programs in the United States and Puerto Rico, and approximately 80 percent of newly diagnoses cancer patients are treated in these institutions.

For more information on the Cancer Liaison Program and the Commission on Cancer, contact the Commission on Cancer at the American College of Surgeons, 633 N. Saint Clair Street, Chicago, IL 60611; by phone at 312.202.5085; or visit http://www.facs.org/cancer.  

For more information, visit the Cancer Institute.