Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center has been awarded a three-year accreditation in Radiation Oncology based on a recent survey by the American College of Radiology (ACR).

The American College of Radiology, headquartered in Reston, Virginia, awards accreditation to facilities for the achievement of high practice standards after a peer-review evaluation of the practice. Evaluations are conducted by board-certified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in the field. They assess the qualifications of the personnel and the adequacy of facility equipment. The surveyors report their findings to the ACR’s Committee on Accreditation, which subsequently provides the practice with a comprehensive report.

Radiation oncology, also known as radiation therapy or radiotherapy, uses high-energy rays to treat cancer and other diseases. When radiation is used in high doses and aimed at targeted areas of the body, it can destroy cancerous cells, keep them from growing and prevent them from reproducing. In many cases, radiation therapy is the single best treatment for cancer.

Good Samaritan uses the most up-to-date medical protocols for treating cancer. The medical center was one of the first facilities on Long Island to make Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) available to its patients. This is the most sophisticated radiation treatment modality currently available to treat prostate, head and neck, lung, pancreatic and other cancers in an extremely precise way.

For more information about the program, call 631-376-4444.