Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center achieves four-year accreditation for radiation oncology services from ASTRO’s APEx - Accreditation Program for Excellence®

Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center’s radiation oncology clinics downtown and at Baptist South have successfully met the standards of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) APEx - Accreditation Program for Excellence®. APEx is an accreditation program developed by ASTRO that validates a radiation oncology facility’s excellence in delivering high-quality patient care. The four-year accreditation is effective until April 15, 2025.

“Baptist MD Anderson is pleased to receive APEx accreditation from ASTRO, the largest radiation oncology society in the world,” said Michael Olson, MD, PhD, interim head of the division of radiation oncology. “Our entire radiation oncology team was invested in evaluating our processes to meet ASTRO’s high standards for safety and quality. Securing APEx accreditation illustrates our commitment to delivering consistent patient-centered cancer care through our unique multidisciplinary care model.”

“ASTRO commends Baptist MD Anderson for achieving APEx accreditation,” said Thomas J. Eichler, MD, FASTRO, chair of the ASTRO Board of Directors. By undergoing this comprehensive review, the facility has demonstrated a strong commitment to delivering safe, high-quality radiation oncology services to their patients."

Accreditation through APEx is a voluntary and rigorous multi-step process during which a facility’s practices are evaluated using consensus-based standards. The center must demonstrate its safety and quality processes and its adherence to patient-centered care by promoting effective communication, coordinated treatments and strong patient engagement.

The APEx accreditation process includes a facility self-assessment as well as a comprehensive onsite facility review by a radiation oncologist and a medical physicist. The program reflects the recommendations endorsed in the ASTRO publication Safety is No Accident: A Framework for Quality Radiation Oncology and Care.

To date, more than 170 U.S. facilities have earned APEx accreditation. Learn more about APEx at www.astro.org/APEx.