Stanford Medicine Emanuel Radiation Oncology Center Earns ACR Re-Accreditation

Stanford Medicine Emanuel Radiation Oncology Center (SEROC), a joint venture between Stanford Health Care, Stanford University School of Medicine and Emanuel Medical Center, has been awarded another three-year term of accreditation in radiation oncology as the result of a recent review by the American College of Radiology (ACR). Radiation oncology (radiation therapy) is the careful use of high-energy radiation to treat cancer.

When patients and visitors see the gold seals of accreditation displayed in Emanuel’s Cancer Center, they can rest assured that their prescribed treatment will be done at a facility that has met the highest level of quality and radiation safety.

SEROC has two linear accelerators at its facility, most commonly used for external beam radiation treatments for cancer patients. The technological heart of both machines is the ability to precisely target tumors using advanced planning and delivering techniques, including respiratory gating, intensity-modulated radiation therapy, volumetric-measured arc therapy, and stereotactic radiosurgery, and then deliver carefully calibrated doses of radiation to those tumors. The process includes delivering radiation in coordination with the patient’s breathing using a technology called respiratory gating, eradicating cancer cells anywhere in the body and delivering conformal therapy to a target while avoiding normal tissues.

“Providing access to quality radiation therapy for patients in the Central Valley is crucial,” said Sandra Zaky, M.D., M.D., DABR, Stanford radiation oncologist at SEROC. “Our linear accelerators provide world-class Stanford care in the greater Turlock community and we are proud to offer these advanced treatments.”

The ACR is the nation’s oldest and most widely accepted radiation oncology accrediting body, with more than 650 accredited sites, and 29 years of accreditation experience. The ACR seal of accreditation represents the highest level of quality and patient safety. It 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 assessed. The findings are reported to the ACR Committee on Radiation Oncology Accreditation, which subsequently provides the practice with a comprehensive report they can use for continuous practice improvement.

“It is important for our community members to know these services are available in their backyard,” said Alisa Ward, manager of SEROC. “This accreditation recognizes our dedication to providing optimal care for our cancer patients.”

The ACR is a national professional organization serving more than 36,000 diagnostic/interventional radiologists, radiation oncologists, nuclear medicine physicians, and medical physicists with programs focusing on the practice of medical imaging and radiation oncology and the delivery of comprehensive health care services.