CoC Member since 1966
Since its founding in 1847, the American Medical Association (AMA) has always followed its mission: to promote the art and science of medicine and the betterment of public health. As the physicians’ powerful ally in patient care, we fulfill this mission by:
- Removing obstacles that interfere with patient care
- Driving the future of medicine by reimagining medical education, training, and lifelong learning, and by promoting innovation to tackle the biggest challenges in health care
- Improving the health of the nation by leading the charge to prevent chronic disease and confront health crises
The AMA’s system of governance and policymaking includes the Board of Trustees, House of Delegates, councils, and committees, special sections, and AMA senior management and staff. We are the nation’s largest and most influential physicians’ organization, whose policies and practices are shaped by more than 190 state medical societies and specialty organizations.
The AMA and the Commission on Cancer (CoC) have maintained a close and mutually beneficial relationship for more than 50 years. As a clinical member of the CoC, the AMA works with dozens of multidisciplinary professional associations, as well as government agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and public and private institutions, to assist the CoC in meeting the goals and objectives set forth in its own mission statement: improving survival and quality of life for cancer patients.
The AMA values its membership in the CoC for a number of reasons, primarily because we value its leadership and dedication to driving improvements in cancer care and outcomes in the U.S. through outreach, prevention, screening, treatment, and cancer care quality measures. We also value the CoC’s emphasis on education and training, which of course was the catalyst for the founding of the CoC’s parent organization, the American College of Surgeons (ACS). The AMA is proud to partner with the ACS in the Federation of Medicine. The mission of the AMA is advanced through its membership in the CoC, and we work hard to ensure the CoC can fulfill its mission in the same manner.
CoC accreditation, as well as the CoC Outstanding Achievement Award, are concrete proof that a particular cancer program has made the proper investment in human and physical capital to provide patients with coordinated, patient-centered care of the highest quality, backed by support services and other resources that provide the full continuum of cancer care. The AMA shares and values the CoC’s commitment to continuous quality improvement, and we remain confident that each cancer program accredited by the CoC meets the highest standards for diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up care.
The AMA and the CoC are partners working together in a trusted relationship to heal patients and boost the health of the nation through advocacy, education, research, leadership, and the sound practice of evidence-based medicine, as well as a firm dedication to achieving health equity for all. The AMA salutes the CoC as it marks 100 years of excellence, and we look forward to achieving even greater results as your partner during the next century of service to patients and the nation.