Jackson VA receives cancer care honor

The V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi, has earned national recognition for the quality of cancer care provided to Mississippi Veterans. The medical center received the American Society for Radiation Oncology Accreditation Program for Excellence Accreditation.

With less than 5% of cancer centers in the U.S. currently accredited, this is a unique and prestigious honor. The accreditation program, which can take up to a year to complete, focuses specifically on five pillars of patient care:

• Process of care
• Radiation oncology team
• Safety
• Quality management
• Patient-centered care.

A facility must adhere to patient-centered care

Jackson VA first in Mississippi to achieve the accreditation

“We are extremely pleased to be the first in the state to be awarded the APEx accreditation. We are proud of the efforts of all of our staff to provide the absolute pinnacle of care to our Veterans and are appreciative of the recognition we have received,” said Dr. William Burleson, chief of Radiation Oncology.

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

Medical center cares for over 54,000 Veterans

“Our facility has demonstrated the practices of ASTRO, and we plan to continue to engage them in the care we provide to our Veterans,” Burleson added.

The G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA and the Columbus, Greenville, Hattiesburg, Kosciusko, McComb, Meridian and Natchez VA Clinics are all part of the VA Jackson Health Care System, which is headquartered in Jackson, Mississippi.

We provide a variety of medical outpatient services to more than 54,000 Veterans. For more information visit www.jackson.va.gov.