MeritCare ranked in top 50 in cancer care
U.S. News & World Report (July 19, 1999 issue) ranked MeritCare Health System 44th in the nation in cancer care. The magazine studied more than 6,000 hospitals, judging them on reputation among physicians nationwide, mortality rates, availability of technology and other data. MeritCare and Mayo Clinic were the only facilities in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota to rank in the top 50 in the cancer category.
"This ranking reaffirms what many people in the area already know — that you don't have to travel to distant places to get superior cancer care," says John Leitch, M.D., oncologist at MeritCare Roger Maris Cancer Center.
The quality of cancer care delivered at MeritCare can be traced to several factors:
- A highly trained and experienced team
- Participation in research
- Ongoing efforts to measure results and make improvements
- A holistic approach focused on meeting the needs of people with cancer and their families
Several of the cancer center's patient and family programs are possible thanks to the MeritCare Foundation.
"We realize a cancer program like ours could not have developed without the support we've received from so many over the years — the Maris family, the MeritCare administration, staff and board, and perhaps most important of all, the people in the region,," says Dr. Leitch. "We're grateful to all and all deserve the credit."
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