John Cunningham, MD, FACS, Receives Outstanding Performance Award
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Berkeley Heights, NJ -- Summit Medical Group surgeon John David Cunningham, MD, FACS, a Cancer Liaison Physician (CLP), recently received an Outstanding Performance Award for going above and beyond the scope of the normal duties of serving as a liaison between the cancer program and the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (CoC). As a Cancer Liaison, Dr. Cunningham is serving a 3-year appointment. He is among a national network of more than 1,600 volunteer physicians responsible for providing leadership and direction to establish, maintain, and support their facility’s cancer program. Cancer Liaison Physicians are an integral part of cancer programs accredited by the CoC.
Nationally, 36 Cancer Liaison Physician Outstanding Performance Awards were recently given to recognize liaison physicians’ work in developing and/or implementing an idea(s) that improved the quality of care delivered at their facility. Each of the physician directly contributed to the accreditation status of the cancer program; exceeding expectations established for CLPs to strengthen the cancer program; demonstrating leadership and support for cancer control activities in the community and with the ACS; or being a role model for other staff and exhibiting characteristics that make them a physician champion for the cancer program. The awardees were recognized at the Cancer Liaison Program breakfast, held during the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress in October 2009.
As a Cancer Liaison Physician, Dr. Cunningham, is responsible for spearheading CoC initiatives within the hospital’s cancer program; collaborating with local agencies such as the American Cancer Society; and facilitating quality improvement initiatives utilizing data submitted to the CoC's National Cancer Database (NCDB). The NCDB currently contains patient demographics, tumor characteristics, treatment, and outcomes information for over 25 million malignant cancers diagnosed and treated at hospital cancer programs in the United States. The CoC collects data from its approved cancer programs and provides tools these facilities can use to facilitate the analysis of patterns of diagnosis and treatment.
Dr. Cunningham earned his BS in molecular biology at the University of Wisconsin, and he earned his MD at University of Wisconsin Medical School, both in Madison. An Outstanding Chief Resident at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia, he also completed a fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center/Cornell University Medical College/American Cancer Society in New York City. He is board certified in surgery.
In addition to his position at Summit Medical Group, Dr. Cunningham is Attending Surgeon for Overlook Hospital in Summit, New Jersey, and Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery at Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City. He was previously Assistant Professor of Surgery for Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City.
A gifted speaker, Dr. Cunningham has delivered local, regional, and national invited presentations concerning a wide range of topics in surgical oncology. He is the author or coauthor of articles and abstracts, which are published in prestigious peer-reviewed scientific journals such as Surgical Oncology, Annals of Surgical Oncology, and American Journal of Surgery. He is a member of the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project as well as the Overlook Hospital Breast Cancer Steering Committee, Cancer Committee, Cancer Executive Committee, and Surgical Care Review Committee. A fellow of the American College of Surgeons and diplomat of the American Board of Surgery, he is a member of the Society of Surgical Oncology, American Society of Breast Surgeons, and Union County Medical Society.
About the CoC
Established in 1922, the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer belongs to a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival and quality of life for cancer patients through establishing standards, prevention, research, education, and monitoring comprehensive quality care. Its membership includes fellows of the American College of Surgeons and representatives of 46 national organizations that reflect the full spectrum of cancer care. The CoC’s core functions include setting standards for quality, multidisciplinary cancer patient care; surveying facilities to evaluate compliance with the CoC standards; collecting standardized, high-quality data from accredited facilities; and using the data to develop effective educational interventions to improve loca, national, and state cancer care outcomes. There are currently more than 1,400 CoC-accredited cancer programs in the US and Puerto Rico.
