Inova Loudoun Hospital Cancer Center Earns Outstanding Achievement Award

American College of Surgeons Recognizes Hospital for High-Quality Care

Leesburg, VA – (March 18, 2009) — Inova Loudoun Hospital has received the 2008 Outstanding Achievement Award (OAA) from the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer (CoC). The award recognizes cancer programs that strive for excellence in providing quality care to cancer patients. Inova Loudoun Hospital was one of only 93 hospitals nationwide to receive this award.

“We are extremely honored to be named to this prestigious list,” said Punam Dutt, Director, Radiation Oncology Center, Inova Loudoun Hospital. “It is absolutely a testament to the commitment of our physicians, nurses and staff in the continuing fight against this disease and our daily pursuit of excellent patient care.”

To be considered for the award, hospitals undergo a vigorous on-site evaluation by a physician surveyor. Facilities are evaluated every three years on the following criteria:

• Clinical services
• Research
• Cancer data management
• Community outreach
• Quality improvement
• Cancer committee leadership
• Professional education and staff support

The Cancer Center at Inova Loudoun Hospital offers patients a comprehensive treatment program that includes advanced diagnostic tools, surgery treatments, and education and support programs. The radiation-therapy program includes external therapies as well as internal therapies, such as prostate-seed implants. Physicians use the latest image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) technology to obtain high-resolution 3-D images before each treatment, enabling them to provide precise and accurate radiation treatment.

Inova Loudoun’s sister hospital, Inova Alexandria, also was honored with this award. Inova Fairfax Hospital was a recipient in 2007.

The CoC is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival and quality of life for cancer patients through standard-setting, prevention, research, education, and the monitoring of comprehensive quality care.

Inova Loudoun Hospital, serving Loudoun County for nearly 100 years, is part of Inova Health System, a not-for-profit healthcare system based in Northern Virginia that consists of hospitals and other health services, including emergency- and urgent-care centers, home care, nursing homes, mental health and blood donor services, and wellness classes. Governed by a voluntary board of community members, Inova’s mission is to improve the health of the diverse community it serves through excellence in patient care, education and research. Inova provides a healthy environment for its patients, families, visitors, staff and physicians by prohibiting tobacco use on its campuses.