ECCC News

ECCC Radiation Oncology Program first in WV to earn ACR Accreditation

Tue, 07 May 2013 13:46:37 -0400

The Radiation Oncology program at the Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center (ECCC) is the first in West Virginia to be awarded a three-year term of accreditation in radiation oncology by the American College of Radiology (ACR), which is the nation's oldest and most widely accepted radiation oncology accrediting body. The ACR seal of accreditation represents the highest level of quality and patient safety.

“Receiving the ACR accreditation demonstrates to patients, referring physicians and other regulatory agencies that the Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center is committed to quality care that meets or exceeds the care found in a typical radiation oncology practice,” said Andrew Freeman, MD, Medical Director of the Radiation Oncology Department at the Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center.

ECCC radiation oncologists Dr. Hussain and Dr. Freeman collaborate.

Radiation oncology, also known as radiation therapy, is the careful use of high-energy radiation to treat cancer. Radiation oncologists use radiation to kill cancer cells, shrink tumors or to relieve a cancer patient’s pain.

“Patients can have confidence that the Radiation Oncology Program at the Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center meets the highest safety and quality standards in our specialty,” said Aamir Hussain, MD, Director of Stereotactic Radiosurgery and Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy at ECCC. “This accreditation sets us apart by recognizing and confirming our commitment to exceptional patient care.”

The ACR seal of accreditation is awarded only to facilities meeting specific practice guidelines and technical standards developed by ACR after a peer-review evaluation by board-certified radiation oncologists and medical physicists who are experts in the field. Patient care and treatment, patient safety, personnel qualifications, adequacy of facility equipment, quality control procedures and quality assurance programs are also assessed.

Free Women’s Health Screening April 12

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 15:23:13 -0400

Women can receive a free health screening April 12 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center on the campus of Cabell Huntington Hospital. Free pelvic exams and clinical breast exams will be available for women over age 18, and pap smears will be available for those who qualify.

Physicians with the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, the Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center and Cabell Huntington Hospital will perform the exams. Pathology services will be provided by University Pathology Services. Free valet parking is available under the entrance canopy. Appointments are preferred, but walk-ins are welcome. Please call 304-526-2379 to make an appointment.

Regional Cancer Nursing Symposium Mar. 21-22

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 11:54:51 -0500

Cabell Huntington Hospital and the Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center will present the Regional Cancer Nursing Symposium from 7:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. March 21 and 22 at the Pullman Plaza Hotel in Huntington. The symposium was developed for nurses and allied health professionals involved in the care of cancer patients; nursing contact hours will be provided. The cost of the event is $25 per day, which includes a USB flash drive that contains conference materials.

Visiting health professionals and staff and physicians from Cabell Huntington Hospital and the Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center will present information about:

Exercise and quality of life in cancer patients
Pharmacy update for cancer care
Decoding pathology reports and common genetic pathways
Personalized medicine and cancer genomics
Overview of lung cancer
Lung cancer update 2013
New targeted therapies in cancer
Radiation oncology's role in lung cancer
Oncologic emergencies in lung cancer

Cabell Huntington Hospital is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the West Virginia Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation and 5.0 contact hours will be provided each day, 10.0 hours total.

For more information or to have a registration form emailed to you, please call Margaret Wagnerowski at 304-399-6884.

New Manager of Medical/Surgical Oncology Programs at the ECCC

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 11:44:37 -0500

Molly Sarver, BSN, MBA, OCN, has been named Manager of Medical and Surgical Oncology Programs at the Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center. Sarver is an oncology certified nurse who most recently was nurse manager for the Adult Oncology Unit at Cabell Huntington Hospital. She has more than 21 years of nursing and management experience.

In her new position with the Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sarver oversees day-to-day operations of the medical and surgical clinic areas and the adult and pediatric infusion areas in the Cancer Center. She also manages navigators for the Lung Cancer and Colorectal Cancer programs and the Palliative Care Program.

Welcome, Pediatric Oncologist & Hematologist Mark Mogul, MD

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 11:37:56 -0400

An experienced, board-certified pediatric cancer specialist is the latest addition to the medical staff at the Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center on the campus of Cabell Huntington Hospital and the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine.

Mark Mogul, MD, a pediatric hematologist/oncologist, is now seeing pediatric patients with cancer and blood disorders from birth through their early 20s in the Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Mogul earned his medical degree at State University of New York Health Science Center in Syracuse, NY, where he also completed his pediatrics residency training. Additionally, Dr. Mogul completed a fellowship in hematology/oncology at Stanford University in Stanford, California.

For more information, or to make an appointment, please call 304-399-6503.

Breast Cancer Conference for Healthcare Providers Oct. 26

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 11:00:05 -0400

The Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Breast Health Center at Cabell Huntington Hospital present the 4th Annual Breast Cancer Basics & Beyond conference Friday, October 26 from 7:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. The conference will offer healthcare providers the latest updates in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. It will take place in the Harless Auditorium on the ground floor of the Marshall University Medical Center on the campus of Cabell Huntington Hospital.

Nurses, radiologic technologists and other healthcare providers who work regularly with breast cancer patients are encouraged to participate. The information to be presented includes:

New Advances in Surgical Management and Treatment of Breast Cancer Patients
The Role of Clinical Trials in Patients Diagnosed with Breast Cancer
Radiological Tools used to Diagnose Breast Cancer
The Role of Oncotype DX® and Other Target Therapies in Breast Cancer

The conference also includes national breast cancer speaker and author, Tamela Rich, who will present "The Accidental Breast Cancer Advocate." Rich is the author of "Live Full Throttle: Life Lessons from Friends Who Face Breast Cancer."

Please register by calling 304-526-2440 or 304-526-2271. The cost is $25 and includes materials, refreshments and lunch. Nurses can receive 5.5 contact hours for participating and additional CE approval is pending for radiologic technologists.

A memorial balloon release will take place at the conclusion of the conference. To purchase balloons in memory or honor of someone with cancer please call 304-526-2440. Proceeds from sales benefit the Good Samaritan Fund at the Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center that provides services for cancer patients, including coverage of mammograms for those who cannot afford them.

Medical Oncology Fellowship Training Program Welcomes First Class of Physicians

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 23:56:25 -0400

The Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center (ECCC) is now home to the Huntington/Tri-State region's only academic training program for physicians specializing in cancer care. Two internal medicine physicians arrived this week to begin the two-year Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine Medical Oncology Fellowship Program, which will prepare them to care for patients diagnosed with cancer. Laurie Matt, MD, earned her medical degree from the University of Sint Eustatius School of Medicine in Sint Eustatius, Dutch Caribbean, and completed an internal medicine residency at Akron General Medical Center in Akron, Ohio. Mohammad Mozayen, MD, earned his medical degree from the University of Damascus, Syria and completed an internal medicine residency at McLaren Regional Medical Center/Michigan State University in Flint, Michigan. Two additional physicians will begin their training next July.

Maria Tria Tirona, MD, FACP, director of medical oncology at the ECCC and the director of the fellowship program, said this is a very important step for the cancer center.

“The development of this fellowship program is a testament to the commitment to academic excellence from the physicians of this cancer center, Cabell Huntington Hospital and the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine,” Dr. Tirona said. “Through this training program we will produce new cancer specialists who will be prepared to contribute to the future of cancer care.”

The physicians in the training program will work alongside the medical oncology, surgical oncology and radiation oncology teams at the Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center, participate in patient care and study the latest developments in treatments, clinical trials and cancer research.

Mohamad K. Khasawneh, MD, joins medical oncology/hematology team

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 23:54:07 -0400

Mohamad K. Khasawneh, MD

The Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine welcome Mohamad K. Khasawneh, MD, a fellowship-trained medical oncologist and hematologist, to the medical staff and the comprehensive cancer program. Dr. Khasawneh has significant experience in medical oncology and hematology, including the treatment of clotting and bleeding disorders, benign and malignant blood disorders, solid tumors, myeloma, leukemia and lymphoma. He is also experienced in genetic testing and National Cancer Institute-sponsored clinical trials.

Dr. Khasawneh completed his residency in internal medicine at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. He also completed an oncology fellowship at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute at the State University of New York and an experimental therapeutic fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call 304-399-6500.

National Award from the Commission on Cancer

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 23:50:44 -0400

The Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center is one of only 106 facilities in the nation to receive the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons. The award is based on the results of surveys and an on-site evaluation by a physician surveyor performed during 2011. The Outstanding Achievement Award recognizes cancer programs that strive for excellence in providing quality care to patients. It is granted to facilities that demonstrate a commendation level of compliance with standards that represent six areas of cancer program activity, including committee leadership, data management, clinical management, research, community outreach and quality improvement.

“Receiving the Outstanding Achievement Award is a well-deserved honor for the Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center,” said Gerard Oakley, MD, gynecologic oncologist and Chairman of the Cancer Committee at the Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center. “It places us among many of the premier cancer programs nationwide. It is a testimony to the skill and dedication to excellence that is exhibited throughout the center.”

There are currently more than 1,500 Commission on Cancer-accredited cancer programs in the US and Puerto Rico, representing 30 percent of all hospitals. These facilities diagnose and/or treat more than 70 percent of all newly diagnosed cancer patients each year.

Free Skin Cancer Screening April 24

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 23:47:35 -0400

A free skin cancer screening will take place at the Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center Tuesday, April 24, from 5 to 8 p.m. Local dermatologists and physicians will be performing screenings by appointment only. This screening is recommended for anyone who has not been examined by a dermatologist in the last year. With the summer months approaching, dermatologists advise patients to be screened before spending long days out in the sun. Because the number of people who can be screened is limited, you must make an appointment by calling 304-526-2379.

The Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center shares the campus of Cabell Huntington Hospital. Free parking is available.