The Commission on Cancer (CoC), has granted national accreditation to Sarasota Memorial Health Care System’s expanding cancer program. The prestigious recognition is awarded sparingly to cancer programs that meet more than 30 CoC quality care standards and maintain levels of excellence in the delivery of comprehensive patient-centered care.

Sarasota Memorial is among the top cancer programs in the nation, maintaining continuous CoC accreditation since 1988. To maintain CoC accreditation, SMH undergoes a rigorous voluntary survey every three years.

In January, the hospital approved $220 million to further expand its cancer program, moving forward with plans for a new inpatient and surgical oncology tower on its main campus and radiation oncology center at its University Parkway outpatient campus. SMH’s new Cancer Institute is designed to be a destination cancer program that concentrates an expanding range of fellowship-trained oncology sub-specialists in the region.