WHEELING – The Schiffler Cancer Center at Wheeling Hospital has been named in the top 10 percent among U.S. cancer centers for patient safety and medical excellence.

In addition, the cancer center has received a three-year reaccreditation as a comprehensive cancer program, the only such accredited program in the region, according to hospital officials.

The national rankings were determined by CareChex, a division of Comparion, one of the nation’s largest health care quality monitoring and health information organizations. Comparion analyzes data from a variety of sources to determine how well a hospital is performing in various categories and makes a comparison among hospitals.

“We are very proud of the staff at our Schiffler Cancer Center, and others within our hospital associated with cancer care. They perform at an exceptionally high level, from diagnosis to treatment to follow-up consultations and after-care programs. The center has a long-standing reputation for not only providing outstanding care, but also for the extremely compassionate manner in which it is provided,” said Ron Violi, hospital chief executive officer.

“The CareChex ranking is really good news for our hospital, but more importantly, it means even more to our patients,” he said.

CareChex reviews reports and data submitted to various health care organizations, including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and HealthStream Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems.

“We don’t set quality goals to earn rankings or awards. We set quality goals to help patients get better through a high level of medical expertise. We’re treating patients who are among the most ill. And in doing so, if we get recognized for our efforts, then that is one way we know our goals are being reached,” said Heidi Porter, director of the hospital’s quality assurance department.

The three-year reaccreditation of the Schiffler Cancer Center’s Comprehensive Cancer Program was made by the American College of Surgeon’s Commission on Cancer. The center has the only accredited comprehensive cancer program between Canton and Parkersburg, and from Washington to Columbus.

“The CoC is very stringent in its requirements to be an accredited comprehensive cancer center,” said Schiffler oncologist Dr. Jondavid Pollock.

“The reaccreditation acknowledges in an unbiased, objective manner our commitment to excellence and best care practices. We stand apart from other cancer centers in our region because we treat more patients, provide clinical trials and conduct cancer research, all of which are at the highest level and worthy of the accredited comprehensive cancer program label,” Pollock said.

Dr. Gregory Merrick, director of the Schiffler Cancer Center, said while the hospital has advanced equipment and technologies, its staff is the key to its successes.

“Our success is due to a team of talented and hard-working people who include more than just the oncologists and nurses most patients only see when they visit us. The team also includes anesthesiologists, radiologists, surgeons, physicists, pathologists, nutritionists and others,” Merrick explained

Other oncologists at the Schiffler Cancer Center include Dr. Lowell Shinn, Dr. Sue Tobin and Dr. Nishant Tageja. The center, which also has treatment facilities at Belmont Community Hospital in Bellaire, is internationally recognized, having treated patients from 42 states and 17 foreign countries.