Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth has been awarded The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for Brain Tumor Certification.
In 2016, Texas Health Fort Worth was the first hospital in Texas to have its brain tumor program certified by The Joint Commission, a nonprofit organization that evaluates, accredits and certifies more than 22,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States.
The Joint Commission visited Texas Health Fort Worth last month to conduct a rigorous review of the facility’s clinical practice guidelines and performance measures. The Joint Commission’s Disease-Specific Care Certification evaluates clinical programs and addresses three core areas:
- Compliance with consensus-based national standards.
- Effective use of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to manage and optimize care.
- An organized approach to performance measurement and improvement activities.
“This certification continues to highlight the dedication and tireless work ethic of our employees and physicians on the Texas Health Fort Worth medical staff,” said Joseph DeLeon, president of Texas Health Fort Worth. “We’ll continue to strive for excellence and offer quality care – not for recognition but a commitment to doing the right thing for our patients.”
The National Brain Tumor Society estimates that 1 million people in the U.S. are living with a brain tumor. More than 70% of those patients have noncancerous tumors but 28% are malignant, said Dr. Adrian Harvey, Texas Health Fort Worth’s brain tumor program medical director and a member of the North Texas Neurosurgical and Spine Center, a Texas Health Physicians Group practice.
“The brain tumor program at Texas Health Fort Worth provides patients with critical resources, before, during and after treatment,” Harvey said. “It’s great to be a certified brain tumor program, but more importantly, witnessing patients living with an improved quality of life is the most desired achievement.”
Texas Health Fort Worth’s program provides patients with educational tools and offers comprehensive rehabilitation programs for individuals recovering from brain tumor surgery. To develop a personalized treatment plan, physicians on the medical staff collaborate to determine whether treatment requires medication, surgical removal, radiation therapy, chemotherapy or scheduled monitoring.
Key facts about brain tumors (source – National Brain Tumor Society):
- More than 1M Americans are living with a brain tumor.
- Approx. 94,390 people were diagnosed with a brain tumor last year.
- It’s estimated there will be 25,400 new patients diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor this year.
- More than any other cancer, brain tumors can have a lasting and life-changing effect on the body (physical, cognitive and psychological impacts).
- It’s estimated that 18,870 people will lose their battle with a malignant brain tumor this year.
Information for this article was provided by Texas Health Resources Fort Worth. To learn more about Texas Health’s brain tumor program click here.