The Commission on Cancer (CoC), a quality program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) has once again granted Three-Year Accreditation to the cancer program at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center (CBMC), Livingston, NJ, an RWJBarnabas Health (RWJBH) facility, in partnership with Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, the state’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.
To earn voluntary CoC accreditation, a cancer program must meet 34 CoC quality care standards, be evaluated every three years through a survey process, and maintain levels of excellence in the delivery of comprehensive patient-centered care.
CBMC was recognized for taking a multidisciplinary approach to treating cancer as a complex group of diseases that requires consultation among surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, diagnostic radiologists, pathologists, and other cancer specialists. This multidisciplinary partnership results in improved patient care.
Together with Rutgers Cancer Institute and RWJBarnabas Health, CBMC is a leader in cancer care and innovation and in alignment with the theme of “Reimagining Cancer Care,” will open a 137,000-square-foot outpatient cancer center on its Livingston campus in 2025. The freestanding facility will serve as the northern hub for the integrated oncology services offered by RWJBH and Rutgers Cancer Institute, bringing medical, surgical, and radiation oncology services along with holistic support services under one roof.
“Earning this prestigious accreditation again is a testament to the unparalleled expertise and quality of care our cancer team at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center offers our patients and community across the continuum of cancer care services,” says Richard L. Davis, the hospital’s President and CEO. “Together, we deliver evidence-based medicine and clinical research through advanced cancer therapies, the latest technologies, and access to clinical trials, many of which are not available elsewhere. The addition of our new freestanding cancer center will build on the medical center’s longstanding legacy of clinical expertise and compassionate, patient-centered diagnosis and treatment.”
“The awarding of this reaccreditation by the Commission on Cancer reaffirms the significant role our cancer program serves for our state and beyond through groundbreaking cancer treatments, innovative technology, state-of-the-art research, prevention and education,” notes Rutgers Cancer Institute Director Steven K. Libutti, MD, FACS, who is also the senior vice president of oncology services at RWJBarnabas Health. “Rutgers Cancer Institute and RWJBarnabas Health are committed to providing world-class cancer care close to home for the communities we serve.”
The CoC Accreditation Program provides the framework for CBMC to improve its quality of patient care through various cancer-related programs that focus on the full spectrum of cancer care including prevention, early diagnosis, cancer staging, optimal treatment, rehabilitation, life-long follow-up for recurrent disease, and end-of-life care. When patients receive care at a CoC facility, they also have access to information on clinical trials and new treatments, genetic counseling, and patient centered services including psycho-social support, a patient navigation process, and a survivorship care plan that documents the care each patient receives and seeks to improve cancer survivors’ quality of life.
Like all CoC-accredited facilities, CBMC maintains a cancer registry and contributes data to the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB), a joint program of the CoC and American Cancer Society. This nationwide oncology outcomes database is the largest clinical disease registry in the world. Data on all types of cancer are tracked and analyzed through the NCDB and used to explore trends in cancer care. CoC-accredited cancer centers, in turn, have access to information derived from this type of data analysis, which is used to create national, regional, and state benchmark reports. These reports help CoC facilities with their quality improvement efforts.
The American Cancer Society estimates that more than 1.9 million cases of cancer will be diagnosed in 2022. There are currently more than 1,500 CoC-accredited cancer programs in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, CoC-accredited facilities diagnose and/or treat more than 70 percent of all newly diagnosed patients with cancer. When cancer patients choose to seek care locally at a CoC-accredited cancer center, they are gaining access to comprehensive, state-of-the-art cancer care close to home. The CoC provides the public with information on the resources, services, and cancer treatment experience for each CoC-accredited cancer program through the CoC Hospital Locator at facs.org/search/cancer-programs
Established in 1922 by the American College of Surgeons, the CoC is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving patient outcomes and quality of life for cancer patients through standard-setting, prevention, research, education, and the monitoring of comprehensive, quality care. Its membership includes Fellows of the American College of Surgeons. For more information, visit: facs.org/cancer
About Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center
Since 1865, Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center (CBMC), formerly known as Saint Barnabas Medical Center, has worked to exceed our community’s highest expectations for compassionate, comprehensive health care. As New Jersey’s oldest nonsectarian hospital, the 597-bed institution is one of the largest health care providers in the state, treating more than 32,000 inpatients and 90,000 Emergency Department patients each year. Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center and the Barnabas Health Ambulatory Care Center provide treatment and services for more than 300,000 outpatient visits annually. Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center has long been recognized as a leader in providing world-class care—delivering 6,400 babies annually which is one of the largest programs in the state, leading the nation in Kidney Transplant, and providing more than 100 medical and surgical specialty and subspecialty services. RWJBarnabas Health and Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in partnership with Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey - the state's only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center - brings a world class team of researchers and specialists to fight alongside you, providing close-to-home access to the latest treatment and clinical trials. Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center is located at 94 Old Short Hills Road, Livingston, NJ 07039. For more information, call 973-322-5000 or visit rwjbh.org/coopermanbarnabas.
About Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
As New Jersey’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, Rutgers Cancer Institute, together with RWJBarnabas Health, offers the most advanced cancer treatment options including bone marrow transplantation, proton therapy, CAR T-cell therapy and complex surgical procedures. Along with clinical trials and novel therapeutics such as precision medicine and immunotherapy – many of which are not widely available – patients have access to these cutting-edge therapies at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey in New Brunswick, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey at University Hospital in Newark, as well as through RWJBarnabas Health facilities. To make a tax-deductible gift to support the Cancer Institute of New Jersey, call 848-932-8013 or visit cinj.org/giving.
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