Franciscan Health Cancer Practice In Indianapolis Re-Certified For Meeting High Level Of Care

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana – Franciscan Physician Network Oncology & Hematology Specialists has been recertified as meeting the highest standards for quality cancer care by the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI®) Certification Program.

The program, an affiliate of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), provides a three-year certification for outpatient hematology-oncology practices.

"This recognition reflects our physicians' and entire staff's strong dedication to professionalism and commitment to excellence in patient care," said Subhash Sharma, MD, medical director of Franciscan Physician Network Oncology & Hematology Specialists. "Our patient-focused approach truly is multidisciplinary and demonstrates our commitment to quality improvement and best practices."

The team works with other medical specialists to a treatment plan for each patient served by the Franciscan Health Cancer Center. They also participate in international research studies and clinical trials for cancer medications, treatments and procedures sponsored by the National Cancer Institute and leading pharmaceutical companies. Some of these studies are available only at Franciscan Health Indianapolis.

QOPI provides oncology practices with the information needed to evaluate and continually improve the quality of care they provide for patients. The certification program allows practices to maintain their commitment to excellence by providing the best possible care for patients with cancer, according to ASCO officials.

Launched by ASCO in 2006 to help hematology-oncology and medical oncology practices assess the quality of the care they provide, QOPI is a voluntary, self-assessment and improvement program. Through it, practices abstract data from patients' records up to twice per year and enter this information into a secure database.