Sonora, CA…Nearly 500 community members and Adventist Health Sonora staff attended the ribbon-cutting celebration at the new Health Pavilion and Diana J. White Cancer Institute, which was held on April 30 in honor of the birthdate of the late Diana J. White. Members of the White family traveled from across the country to attend. The Cancer Institute was named in honor of Diana J. White at the request of her husband, George White, who left their entire estate worth more than $3 million to help Adventist Health Sonora provide world-class cancer care to the community. The Health Pavilion and Diana J. White Cancer Institute is ready to open but awaits assessment by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).

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During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Adventist Health Sonora President Michelle Fuentes announced that the Cancer Institute has been certified by the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI®).

The QOPI® Certification Program (QCP™), an affiliate of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO®), recognized Adventist Health Sonora for successfully completing a three-year certification program for outpatient hematology-oncology practices and meeting nationally recognized standards for quality cancer care.
Practices receive QOPI® certification based on their full compliance with the QOPI® certification standards as assessed during an on-site survey. Adventist Health Sonora Cancer Center, now known as the Diana J. White Cancer Institute, was surveyed in November 2017 and received notification of full compliance with 20 safety standards in February. This recognition of quality puts the Diana J. White Cancer Institute into an elite group of only 14 cancer centers in California.

“We couldn’t be more proud to receive this certification as we prepare to open the Diana J. White Cancer Institute,” Fuentes said. “The oncology staff has worked hard to develop a program that delivers the highest quality care for cancer patients in our community. As they move into their new, state-of-the-art Cancer Institute, they will be even better equipped to provide this level of care for their patients.”

In applying for certification, Adventist Health Sonora participated in a voluntary comprehensive site assessment against clearly specified standards that are consistent with national guidelines and was successful in meeting the standards and objectives of QCP™.

“ASCO’s QOPI Certification demonstrates an oncology practice’s dedication to providing high-quality care to patients with cancer,” said ASCO President Bruce E. Johnson, MD, FASCO. “The certification process is rigorous and by successfully completing it, providers put into practice their commitment to quality and safety excellence and continuous optimization of their processes.”

QOPI® is a voluntary self-assessment and improvement program launched by ASCO in 2006 to help hematology-oncology and medical oncology practices assess the quality of the care they provide to patients. Through the QOPI® program, practices abstract data from patients’ records up to twice per year and enter this information into a secure database. More than 900 oncology practices have registered for the QOPI® program.

The QOPI® Certification Program was launched in January 2010, and more than 290 practices are currently certified. This certification for outpatient oncology practices is the first program of its kind for oncology in the United States and in 2016 was expanded internationally. The QCP™ seal designates those practices that successfully met the standards and objectives of the QOPI® Certification Program, which includes scoring above the threshold on the key QOPI® quality measures and meeting chemotherapy safety standards established by ASCO and the Oncology Nursing Society.

QOPI® analyzes individual practice data and compares these to more than 160 evidence-based and consensus quality measures. The information is then provided in reports to participating practices. Individual practices also are able to compare their performance to data from other practices across the country. Based on this feedback, doctors and practices can identify areas for improvement.

To become QOPI® Certified, practices have to submit to an evaluation of their entire practice and documentation standards. The QCP™ staff and task force members then verify through an on-site survey that the evaluation and documents are correct and that the practices met core standards in areas of treatment, including:
Creating a safe environment—staffing, competencies, and general policy
Treatment planning, patient consent, and education
Ordering, preparing, dispensing, and administering chemotherapy
Monitoring after chemotherapy is administered, including adherence, toxicity, and complications
Treatment planning
Staff training and education
Chemotherapy orders and drug preparation
Patient consent and education
Safe chemotherapy administration
Monitoring and assessment of patient well-being.

QOPI and the QCP are projects dedicated to innovative quality improvement programs. For more information, please visit: http://www.instituteforquality.org/qopi-qcp.

More information about the Diana J. White Cancer Institute is available by calling 209-536-5155.

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About ASCO:
Founded in 1964, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Inc. (ASCO®) is committed to making a world of difference in cancer care. As the world’s leading organization of its kind, ASCO represents more than 40,000 oncology professionals who care for people living with cancer. Through research, education, and promotion of the highest-quality patient care, ASCO works to conquer cancer and create a world where cancer is prevented or cured, and every survivor is healthy. ASCO is supported by its affiliate organization, the Conquer Cancer Foundation. Learn more at www.ASCO.org, explore patient education resources at www.Cancer.Net, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

About QOPI Certification Program LLC
QOPI Certification Program LLC is an ASCO affiliate dedicated to recognizing exemplary commitment to safety and quality in oncology patient care. Practices that have achieved QOPI® Certification have scored well on key QOPI® quality measures and have met chemotherapy safety standards established by ASCO and the Oncology Nursing Society in various areas of treatment and chemotherapy safety.

About Adventist Health Sonora
Adventist Health Sonora is a not-for-profit 152-bed health care facility including 72 acute beds, 12 swing beds, 68 skilled nursing beds and a large network of clinics, owned and operated by Adventist Health in Roseville, California. In addition to emergency and acute care services, other Adventist Health Sonora services include advanced cardiac care, cancer center, diagnostic imaging, home health, hospice, intensive care, obstetrics, rural health, surgical services, wellness center, wound care and hyperbaric oxygen, and over 20 primary care, urgent care and specialty clinics. The Medical Center provided care for 159,498 outpatient visits, 89,983 diagnostic imaging tests, 29,107 home care visits, 31,150 emergency department visits, and 4,421 hospital discharges in 2017. Staffed by over 180 physicians, 1,490 employees, and 120 volunteers, Adventist Health Sonora is the largest private employer in Tuolumne County. For more information about the Medical Center visit www.adventisthealthsonora.org.

About Adventist Health
Adventist Health is a faith-based, nonprofit integrated health system serving more than 75 communities in California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington. Our workforce of 32,900 includes more than 23,600 employees; nearly 5,000 medical staff physicians; and 4,350 volunteers. Founded on Seventh-day Adventist heritage and values, Adventist Health provides compassionate care in 20 hospitals, more than 260 clinics (hospital-based, rural health and physician clinics), 15 home care agencies, seven hospice agencies and four joint-venture retirement centers. In addition, the Adventist Health Plan serves patients in Kings County. Visit AdventistHealth.org for more information.