The Cardio-Oncology Program at the Georgia Cancer Center is one of only 27 institutions in the United States to have received the International Cardio-Oncology Society’s Gold level “Center of Excellence.”
“We are one of the two Centers of Excellence in Georgia, the other being Emory, so I think that speaks for the care we provide,” said Avirup Guha, MBBS, the director of the Cardio-Oncology program at the Georgia Cancer Center at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University.
IC-OS defines a Center of Excellence as a program affording the best patient outcomes possible having an exceptionally high concentration of expertise and resources in a specific area of medicine while delivering comprehensive and efficient care.
IC-OS has a strict point system when it comes to awarding designations. An institution can receive bronze, silver or the coveted gold designation. Designations are based on numerous factors. ICOS looks into the volume of new and established patients, the research and publications the institution is producing, the education and training it provides, Cardio-Oncology Committee involvement with other organizations, quality improvement, and program building.
“A gold level displays the level of care and dedication that we provide for our patients and the community as a whole,” said Guha.
The IC-OS committee was particularly impressed by the program’s quality improvement projects and the goals it has set for itself. Some of the goals of the Cardio-Oncology program are: Minimize/identify/treat cardio-toxicity in patients with established heart disease during and after treatment, survey for cardio-toxicity in cancer survivors, evaluate and assess risk for patients with newly diagnosed cancer for cardio-toxicity, provide multidisciplinary care and promote clinical/research collaborations and education at all levels, and offer virtual care to enhance compliance and follow up.
“This designation is for three years and then they review for a renewal. So, my goal for the next renewal is to see that this program is expanded beyond this campus,” said Guha when asked about the goals he had in mind for the program.
To learn more about the Cardio-Oncoloy program, visit their site or call 706-721-0284 to make an appointment. If you would like to keep up with Guha’s work, you can visit the clinical trials’ site or follow him on Twitter.
