The Ghosh Center is a Certified QOPI Practice

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Mike BurginPhone: 319-294-1899Email: mburgin@theghoshcenter.org Web: www.ghoshcenter.org/qopi

Ghosh Center Recognized as Meeting Highest Quality Standards for Cancer Care

The Ghosh Center has been recognized by the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI®) Certification Program, an affiliate of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

Cedar Rapids, IA: The QOPI® Certification Program certifies oncology practices that meet the highest quality standards for cancer care. “QOPI is designed by clinical experts in oncology to give practices the ability to continuously improve the quality of care they provide,” said ASCO President Clifford A. Hudis, MD, FACP. “The QOPI Certification Program helps practices determine whether they are providing the best possible treatment and care to their patients and demonstrates their commitment to excellence and lifelong learning.”QOPI® is a voluntary self-assessment and improvement program launched by ASCO in 2006 to help hematology-oncology and medical oncology practices assess the quality of the care they provide to patients. Through the QOPI program, practices abstract data from patients’ records up to twice per year and enter this information into a secure database. More than 850 oncology practices have registered in the QOPI program.The QOPI® Certification Program (QCP™) was launched in January 2010, and more than 200 practices are currently certified. This certification for outpatient oncology practices is the first program of its kind for oncology in the United States. Oncologists can achieve certification by meeting the highest standards of care. The QCP seal designates those practices that not only scored high on the key QOPI quality measures, but meet rigorous chemotherapy safety standards established by ASCO and the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS).QOPI® analyzes individual practice data and compares these to more than 160 evidence-based and consensus quality measures. The information is then provided in reports to participating practices. Individual practices are also able to compare their performance to data from other practices across the country. Based on this feedback, doctors and practices can identify areas for improvement.To become certified, practices have to submit to an evaluation of their entire practice and documentation standards. The QCP staff and steering group members then verify through on-site inspection that the evaluation and documents are correct and that the practices met core standards in areas of treatment, including:treatment planning;staff training and education;chemotherapy orders and drug preparation;patient consent and education;safe chemotherapy administration;monitoring and assessment of patient well-being.About ASCO:Founded in 1964, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is the world’s leading professional organization representing physicians who care for people with cancer. With nearly 35,000 members, ASCO is committed to improving cancer care through scientific meetings, educational programs and peer-reviewed journals. ASCO is supported by its affiliate organization, the Conquer Cancer Foundation, which funds ground-breaking research and programs that make a tangible difference in the lives of people with cancer. For ASCO information and resources, visit www.asco.org. Patient-oriented cancer information is available at www.cancer.net.