We offer technical assistance and support to help you apply and maintain one or both national Centers of Excellence (COE) designations meeting certain best practice criteria.

Our Center of Excellence designation for screening recognizes medical facilities that provide responsible, high quality low-dose CT screening for early detection of lung cancer and comply with comprehensive standards based on best practices. These COEs are guided by principles of patient-centered care and quality standards in screening delivery and management of findings so that the transformative stage-shift capacity and the life-saving promise of screening is realized.

Our Center of Excellence designation for treatment recognizes excellence in lung cancer care within community hospitals across the entire care continuum from screening and early detection through late stage diagnosis, care, treatment, support and survivorship. These COEs aim to expand access to high quality multi-disciplinary care in the community setting where the majority of lung cancers are diagnosed.

Screening Designation Criteria

Join the nearly 800 medical facilities with the COE designation for screening who are committed to responsible, high-quality screening practices and in compliance with comprehensive standards based on best practices developed by professional bodies such as the American College of Radiology (ACR), the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) and the International Early Lung Cancer Action Program (I-ELCAP). Criteria include:

  • Provide clear information on the risks and benefits of CT screening through a shared decision-making process.
  • Comply with standards based on best published practices for controlling screening quality, radiation dose and diagnostic procedures.
  • Work with a lung cancer multidisciplinary clinical team to carry out a coordinated process for screening, follow up and treatment when appropriate.
  • Include a comprehensive cessation program for those still smoking or refer to comprehensive cessation programs.
  • Report results to those screened and their primary care doctors and transmit requested copies in a timely manner.
  • Have received or intend to receive designation as a lung cancer screening program through the American College of Radiology.
  • Participation in annual data collection survey includes a free (confidential) metrics dashboard of your own data as well as the aggregated program data report.

Treatment Designation Criteria

Join the more than 60 medical facilities with the COE designation for treatment recognizing community hospitals that treat lung cancer through a coordinated, multidisciplinary and patient-centric approach and demonstrating collaborative leadership across the lung cancer care continuum. Criteria include:

  • Multi-disciplinary clinical team and tumor board approach
  • Nurse Navigator
  • LDCT screening program
  • Nodule clinic
  • Minimally invasive navigational bronchoscopy and thoracic surgical techniques
  • Advanced diagnostics and pathology techniques including ROSE and molecular testing for all approved targets and immunotherapies including NGS and blood-based biopsies
  • Referral opportunities for clinical trials
  • Palliative care, shared-decision-making, and survivorship planning
  • Patient-centric care
  • Participation in the annual COE Impact Study

For more information and to apply to become a Center of Excellence, please contact the Excellence in Healthcare Delivery Team at 202-774-5407 or coesupport@go2.org.