Intermountain McKay-Dee Hospital and Intermountain Utah Valley Hospital are among the first in Utah to earn accreditation from the American Society for Radiation Oncology.

The APEx-Accreditation Program for Excellence is external validation that a radiation oncology facility is delivering high-quality patient care.

The other seven Intermountain hospitals receiving the accreditation are: St. George Regional Hospital, American Fork Hospital, Riverton Hospital, Intermountain Medical Center (Murray), LDS Hospital (Salt Lake City) and Logan Regional Hospital. Only 200 facilities across the nation earned the recognition.

“The accreditation process is a very rigorous, multi-step process that took more than a year to complete,” said Craig Nielsen, director for radiation oncology at Intermountain Health. “We evaluated all our policies and procedures using objective, evidence-based performance measures in radiation oncology.”

APEx is a voluntary process during which a radiation oncology practice is evaluated using consensus-based standards. Each cancer center must demonstrate its safety and quality process and show that it adheres to patient-centered care by promoting effective communication, coordinated treatments and strong patient engagement.

“ASTRO commends Intermountain Health’s cancer centers for achieving APEx accreditation,” said Laura A. Dawson, MD, chair of the ASTRO board of directors. “By undergoing this comprehensive review, these facilities demonstrate their strong commitment to delivering safe, high-quality radiation oncology services to their patients.”

Nielsen said the accreditation demonstrates that Intermountain Health is committed to the highest standards of safety and quality in the practice of radiation oncology.

“Patients receiving treatment at our centers can be assured they will receive the highest quality care and that our team will work closely with them as partners in their care,” he said.

Fewer than 5% of cancer centers in the U.S. are accredited, Nielsen said, making it a prestigious honor.

“We know that getting a cancer diagnosis can be one of the most difficult times for our patients,” he said. “It’s because of our patients and their families that our team has worked so diligently to earn this recognition and accreditation.”

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