Scripps Cancer Treatment Centers Earn ASTRO Accreditation

“This accreditation reaffirms to our patients and their families and friends that Scripps is committed to consistently providing safe, high-quality radiation therapy services that are centered around the patient,” said Ray Lin, MD, medical director of radiation oncology with Scripps Health and a practicing radiation oncologist with Scripps Clinic.

Accreditation through APEx is a rigorous, voluntary process that can take up to one year to complete. Each center seeking APEx accreditation must have its policies and procedures evaluated using objective, verifiable expectations for performance in radiation oncology. Centers must demonstrate commitment to high standards of safety and quality in the practice of radiation oncology and that they practice patient-centered care by promoting effective communication, coordinating treatment and engaging patients and their families as partners in care.

The APEx program includes both a self-assessment process and a facility visit conducted by a medical physicist, radiation oncologist, radiation therapist, nurse, dosimetrist, nurse practitioner and physician assistant or practice administrator.

The Scripps radiation centers offer a wide range of therapy options that use leading-edge technology to treat all types of cancer. External beam radiation therapy techniques offered at the centers range from highly targeted intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) to single-dose radiosurgery to image-guided radiation therapy, which takes patient motion and tumor movement into account. The centers also offer various forms of brachytherapy, in which radioactive sources are placed directly into the body.

Scripps Health is a leader in cancer care in the San Diego region, providing comprehensive care at its five hospital campuses, radiation therapy centers and various Scripps Clinic locations. Scripps cancer physicians and staff work collaboratively toward cancer prevention, early detection, coordinated treatment and community support services. Scripps is actively involved in leading-edge clinical and translational research.

In 2016, Scripps Health and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center announced a partnership to create the Scripps MD Anderson Cancer Center, a clinically integrated cancer program offering the most advanced oncology care in San Diego. The new partnership is expected to launch this fall.

Scripps offers advanced treatment technologies at its various radiation therapy facilities, as well as the San Diego Gamma Knife Center, and through its minimally invasive surgical program. Additional resources include specialized breast care centers, infusion clinics, nurse navigators, rehabilitation services, support groups and the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine.

Scripps Health’s Blood and Marrow Transplant Program is a leader in the treatment of blood cancers and disorders. It is San Diego County’s longest-established blood and marrow transplant program and is the National Marrow Donor Program’s only collection center in San Diego and Imperial counties. The program also serves much of Orange and Riverside counties.

Scripps Clinic was established as a metabolic clinic in 1924 by Ellen Browning Scripps. Since that time, it has evolved into a comprehensive outpatient and inpatient multispecialty system. Scripps Clinic has more than 800 physicians and providers caring for patients at 15 Scripps Clinic locations and all five Scripps hospital campuses throughout San Diego County. Scripps Clinic doctors provide a range of services, from primary care to more than 60 different medical and surgical specialties. In addition to providing exceptional patient care, Scripps Clinic trains new physicians and leads research to advance medical breakthroughs.

Learn more about Scripps Health, a nonprofit integrated health system in San Diego, Calif.