August 17, 2015 – Abraham Cheong, M.D., of Southeast Georgia Physician
Associates-Hematology & Oncology, has received a three-year appointment
as Cancer Liaison Physician for the cancer program at Southeast Georgia
Health System. Cancer Liaison Physicians are an integral part of cancer
programs accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on
Cancer (CoC).
A
board certified
internal medicine physician specializing in hematology and oncology, and
member of the Health System’s medical staff, Cheong is among a national
network of more than 1,500 volunteer physicians who are responsible for
providing leadership and direction to establish, maintain, and support
their facilities’ cancer programs. He has a significant interest
in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with malignant
diseases,
and is a member of the Health System’s multidisciplinary cancer
committee.
“The Health System is dedicated to facilitating the delivery of
comprehensive quality cancer care,” said Abraham Cheong, M.D., “and
I am looking forward to my new role and working with the committee to
further improve cancer care in our community.”
Cancer Liaison Physicians are responsible for evaluating, interpreting,
and reporting their facilities’ performance data through the National
Cancer Data Base and facilitating quality improvement initiatives based
on data findings. The CoC collects data from its accredited cancer programs
and provides tools for these programs to facilitate
analysis
of patterns of diagnosis, treatment, and quality of care for patients
treated at the hospital.
“CoC-accredited cancer centers are recognized as facilities dedicated
to quality care and improvement with performance measures built on evidence-based
practices,” says Timothy A. Jamieson, M.D., Ph.D., medical director
of the Southeast Georgia Health System Cancer Care Centers. “In
his role as cancer liaison physician, Dr. Cheong will be responsible for
leading CoC initiatives within the cancer program and collaborating with
agencies such as the American Cancer Society and National Cancer Institute
on behalf of the hospital.”
The Health System’s Cancer Care Center located on the Brunswick
Campus has been accredited by the CoC since 1996.
The National Cancer Data Base (NCDB), a joint program of the CoC of the
American College of Surgeons and the American Cancer Society, is a nationwide
oncology outcomes database for more than 1,500 Commission-accredited cancer
programs in the United States and Puerto Rico. Some 70 percent of all
newly diagnosed cases of cancer in the United States are captured at the
institutional level and reported to the NCDB. The Cancer Liaison Physician
works with the cancer program staff to facilitate the submission, presentation,
use, and interpretation of NCDB data. Analyzing and sharing these data
with the cancer committee can have a positive impact on cancer patient
care at the facility.
The CoC is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving
survival and quality of life for cancer patients through standard-setting,
prevention, research, education, and monitoring of comprehensive quality care.
For more information on the Cancer Liaison Program contact
clp@facs.org, the Commission on Cancer at the American College of Surgeons, 633 N.
Saint Clair St., Chicago, IL 60611, 312-202-5085; or visit
http://www.facs.org/cancer.