Baptist Health System recognized nationally for excellence in cancer treatment, surgery, comprehensive care

Breast cancer survivor Aubrey Espinoza thanks Dr. Morton Kahlenberg, medical director of Baptist Network for Cancer Care, for the excellent surgery and care he and his oncology team provided her at Baptist Health System.

(San Antonio, TX)  ­­– Baptist Health System is proud to announce it has received national honors for its outstanding cancer patient care including diagnostics, treatment, surgery and support services. This prestigious honor comes from the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Commission on Cancer (CoC), which awarded Baptist Health System’s oncology program with accreditation and designation as an ACS Surgical Quality Partner.

Matt Stone, group CEO of Baptist Health System, recognized the oncology teams for their success.

“Thanks to the diligent work of our medical teams, our cancer patients and their families right here in San Antonio can rest assured they are receiving the highest level of care,” Stone said. “Not only are our teams among the nation’s top experts, they are also compassionate caregivers who walk alongside their patients on their cancer journey every step of the way,” he said.

As a CoC-accredited institution, Baptist Health System also becomes an ACS Surgical Quality Partner. Being a Surgical Quality Partner signifies an institution’s dedication to consistently improving procedures and approaches, while maintaining a critical eye on process at every step. The Surgical Quality Partner designation lets patients know Baptist Health System is dedicated to quality and relentless self-improvement and has been verified or accredited by the ACS. Patients can trust that the care they receive at Surgical Quality Partner hospitals adheres to the most rigorous standards in surgical quality.

Morton Kahlenberg, M.D., FACS, medical director of Baptist Network for Cancer Care, said the honors are a major achievement and reflect the dedication of the oncology teams to provide the highest level of care to cancer patients in San Antonio.

“I am so proud of our multi-disciplinary team of physicians, surgeons, nurses, navigators and support staff who collaborate every day to ensure our patients have high-quality care from diagnosis, surgery to recovery and survival,” Dr. Kahlenberg said. “Their efforts are a testament to this honor. They make Baptist Health System a shining example of how cancer patients across the country should and deserve to receive care,” he said.

The ACS CoC is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival and quality of life for patients with cancer by setting and raising standards. CoC accreditation is granted to institutions committed to providing high-quality cancer care by demonstrating compliance with the CoC standards. Each cancer program must undergo a rigorous evaluation and review of its performance and compliance with the CoC standards. To maintain accreditation, cancer programs must undergo a site visit every three years. The CoC accreditation standards supply the structure for providing all patients with a full range of diagnostic, treatment, and supportive services either on-site or by referral, including community-based resources.

"ACS Quality programs are grounded in more than a century of experience and participation is an important measure of a hospital’s surgical quality. As an ACS Surgical Quality Partner, Baptist Health System has shown a commitment providing the best possible patient care, evaluating that care in a rigorous fashion, and dedicating themselves to continuous self-improvement," said ACS Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer Patricia L. Turner, M.D., M.B.A., FACS.

For more information about oncology services at Baptist Health System, visit https://www.baptisthealthsystem.com/services/oncology