Minnesota Oncology is pleased to announce that our Radiation Oncology program,  which includes both practices at our Saint Paul Cancer Center and Maplewood Cancer Center have been accredited by the American College of Radiology (ACR). Minnesota Oncology currently represents two of the four ACR accredited Radiation Oncology facilities in the Twin Cities Metro area, and two of six in the entire state of Minnesota.

“We are proud of the commitment and dedication of the entire radiation oncology team at Minnesota Oncology who worked together to achieve this accreditation,” said Ellen Bellairs, MD, radiation oncologist in St. Paul and Maplewood.

The accreditation is the result of a great deal of effort on behalf of the radiation oncology teams in St. Paul and Maplewood as well as the support and leadership of administration. The team is made up of radiation oncologists, radiation therapists, physicists, dosimetrists, CT technologists, nurses, medical assistants, managers, operations and office staff.

“I am very proud and honored to be part of such a strong, dependable, and patient-centered team,” said Joseph Kaiyalethe, chief radiation therapist at Minnesota Oncology.

The ACR accreditation program aims to provide impartial, third party, peer review; to recognize quality radiation oncology practices through accreditation; to make recommendations for improvement in practice and patient outcomes according to the recognized standards of the scientific community; and to provide a referral list for patients. On site surveys are performed by board-certified radiation oncologists and medical physicists. In addition, in order to verify that accredited facilities maintain consistent quality during the 3-year accreditation period, on site surveys may also be performed at any time during the accreditation period.

“In today's world, patients have access to a wealth of information and are very knowledgeable about health care issues,” said Minnesota Oncology President Dean Gesme, MD. “They are continually seeking high-quality, appropriate care. ACR accreditation is widely recognized as a measure of quality care, and Minnesota Oncology is proud to have earned this endorsement.”

All ACR accredited facilities are listed on the ACR website.

Congratulations to Minnesota Oncology’s Radiation Oncology Quality Improvement Team:

Warren McGuire, MD – Radiation Oncologist
Kathryn Farniok, MD – Radiation Oncologist
Ellen Bellairs, MD – Radiation Oncologist
Mark Palmer, MD – Radiation Oncologist
Stephanie Krejcarek Childs, MD – Radiation Oncologist
Mustafa Ozer, MS, DABR - Chief Medical Physicist
Holly Chase, CMD, Dosimetrist Sr.
Mark Weis, CMD, Dosimetrist Sr.
Joseph Kaiyalethe, RTT – Chief Radiation Therapist
Marie DiBona, RTT, Lead Radiation Therapist
Roberta Perron, RN
Patty Thompson, Administrator at MCC
Julie Tyren, Administrator at SPCC