UK HealthCare earns elite pediatric cancer care accreditation
By Elizabeth Chapin
University of Kentucky
UK HealthCare recently received Pediatric Specialty Accreditation from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer, a designation that marks high standards in treating children and teens with cancer.
At UK, pediatric patients with cancer may receive treatment at the Kentucky Children’s Hospital’s DanceBlue Pediatric Hematology & Oncology clinic and/or the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center.
Dr. Scottie B. Day, physician-in-chief at Kentucky Children’s Hospital, says the accreditation reflects years of work to build strong cancer care for Kentucky’s children.
“This is a great example of collaboration with Markey Cancer Center and Kentucky Children’s Hospital,” said Day. “It represents the knowledge, experience and hard work of all the teams that encompass comprehensive care for children with cancer: pathology, radiology, surgery and radiation oncology.”
To receive Pediatric Specialty Accreditation, pediatric oncology programs must meet strict national standards and offer young patients a full range of cancer care services, from diagnosis through treatment and follow-up care.
“This accreditation recognizes our unwavering commitment to providing world-class cancer care for children,” said Dr. Mark Evers, director of the Markey Cancer Center. “It assures Kentucky families that their children can receive the highest quality cancer treatment close to home.”
To maintain pediatric specialty accreditation, centers must keep high standards through regular reviews and site visits every three years.
Accredited pediatric oncology programs are required to participate in cancer-related clinical research, including the enrollment of patients in cancer-related clinical trials. Research is made possible in part through the resources available with the Markey Cancer Center being designated a National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center.
The new pediatric accreditation adds to the UK Markey Cancer Center’s Commission on Cancer accreditation as an Academic Comprehensive Cancer Program. Click here to learn more about the CoC accreditation program.
Kentucky Health News is an independent news service of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, based in the School of Journalism and Media at the University of Kentucky, with support from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.
https://kyhealthnews.net/2025/02/02/uk-healthcare-earns-elite-pediatric-cancer-care-accreditation/
