Excellence in Radiation Oncology

The University of New Mexico Comrpehensive Cancer Center successfully attained accreditation from the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) APEx – Accreditation Program for Excellence. APEx provides external validation that a radiation oncology facility is delivering high-quality patient care. The UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center’s accreditation is effective until March 2028.

“Wa are pleased to receive APEx accreditation from ASTRO, the largest radiation oncology society in the world,” said Zoneddy Dayao, MD, Deputy Director for Clinical Operations at UNM Cancer Center. “Our radiation oncology team, under the leadership of Dr. David Lee, Director of Radiation Oncology, and Patricia Sansourekidou, Director of Medical Physics, was invested in evaluating our processes to meet ASTRO’s high standards for safety and quality. Achieving APEx accreditation shows our local community that we are dedicated to delivering consistently safe patient-centered cancer care.”

APEx, the fastest-growing radiation oncology practice accreditation program in the United States, is a voluntary, objective and rigorous multi-step process during which a radiation oncology practice is evaluated using consensus-based standards. The practice must demonstrate its safety and quality processes and show that it adheres to patient-centered care by promoting effective communication, coordinated treatments and strong patient engagement.

“ASTRO commends UNM Cancer Center for achieving APEx accreditation,” said Jeff M. Michalski, MD, MBA, FASTRO, chair of the ASTRO Board of Directors. “By undergoing this comprehensive review, the facility demonstrated their strong commitment to delivering safe, high-quality radiation oncology services to their patients.”

APEx is the only radiation oncology accreditation program that includes a self-assessment, which allows practices to internally assess compliance with quality improvement standards. The practice then proceeds to a facility review by an external surveyor team that includes 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 300 U.S. facilities have earned APEx accreditation. Learn more about APEx at www.astro.org/APEx.