Ochsner Receives Recognition for High-Quality Cancer Care from Largest Oncology Society in U.S.

Ochsner Health System (Ochsner) has been recognized by the QOPI® Certification Program (QCP™), an affiliate of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO®), as successfully completing a three-year certification program for outpatient hematology-oncology practices that meet nationally recognized standards for quality cancer care. Ochsner is the only health system in Louisiana or Mississippi with an oncology practice certification.   

“We are honored to receive a certification that validates our system’s oncology practices,” said Emily Pirch, vice president of Ochsner Cancer Services. “This certification demonstrates our commitment to bringing the highest quality cancer care closer to home for the patients and communities we serve.”

QCP™ builds on ASCO’s Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI®). In applying for certification, Ochsner participated in a voluntary comprehensive site assessment against clearly specified standards that are consistent with national guidelines and was successful in meeting the standards and objectives of QCP™. Through the QOPI® program, practices abstract data from patient records up to twice per year and enter this information into a secure database. More than 900 oncology practices have registered for the QOPI® program.

“We worked very hard to achieve this recognition for our cancer services in Baton Rouge, the Northshore, and New Orleans,” said Dr. Jay Brooks, chair of Hematology-Oncology at Ochsner Baton Rouge Cancer Center. “It’s a testament to the level of care we offer our patients and how we continuously strive to meet the highest standards in cancer care.”

The QOPI® Certification Program was launched in January of 2010, and more than 290 practices are currently certified. The QCP™ seal designates those practices that successfully met the standards and objectives of the QOPI® Certification Program, which includes scoring above the threshold on the key QOPI® quality measures. 

To become QOPI® Certified, practices have to submit to an evaluation of their entire practice and documentation standards. The QCP™ staff and task force members then verify through an on-site survey that the evaluation and documents are correct and that the practices met core standards in areas of treatment.

Those standards include:

-Creating a safe environment—staffing, competencies, and general policy

-Treatment planning, patient consent, and education

-Ordering, preparing, dispensing, and administering chemotherapy

-Monitoring after chemotherapy is administered, including adherence, toxicity, and complications

-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

02/22/2018