The American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer: CLP Appointment Process

How to Become a Cancer Liaison Physician

Cancer Liaison Physicians (CLPs) are selected by their respective facility's cancer committee. CLPs serve a three-year term and are eligible for an unlimited number of terms based on performance and evaluation through the Survey Application Record (SAR) Cancer Liaison Physician Activity Report and compliance with the Community Outreach Standards reviewed at the time of survey. Replacement of the CLP may occur during the course of a three-year term at the discretion of the facility's cancer committee.

In order to become a CLP at a facility, you must have an interest in fulfilling the role and responsibilities outlined and fit the following criteria:

Be a medical doctor on staff at the facility
Have a strong commitment to the success of the cancer program
Be dedicated to the improvement of cancer care in the community
Be an active member of the cancer committee
Be an active participant in cancer conferences/tumor boards
Work collaboratively with the hospital registry staff
Be familiar with the facility's community outreach efforts

Most recently, the Commission on Cancer (CoC) mandated that in order for a CLP to be appointed and receive communications from the Commission, it is now required that a CLP must have e-mail. The Commission relies on this form of communication to share pertinent and crucial information with the CLPs. This includes, but is not limited to, receiving a UserID and Password to CoC Datalinks, which allows access to CoC password protected programs involving the facility, such as the Facility Information Profile System (FIPS), Survey Application Record (SAR), and the National Cancer Database (NCDB) Hospital Comparison Benchmark Reports; Quarterly CLP Updates; and the CoC Flash.

If your facility has not given your CLP an e-mail account, the Commission suggests that the CLP create a personal account or designate an e-mail address where communications can be sent and accessed regularly.

The Appointment Process

If you are a physician who is interested in serving as the CLP at your facility or are a cancer program staff looking to fill the role, you must complete the following steps:

Review the CLP membership criteria above which are required to fill the role.
Contact your facility's cancer committee chair to discuss your interest in the role (or a recommendation for appointment).
Request that the cancer committee chair consider recommending you (or the physician) for the role to the cancer committee. If the facility already has a CLP in place, the cancer committee must determine whether they would like to replace the current position or wait until the end of the physician's three-year term. Facilities are requested to have only one CLP.
If the cancer committee recommends you (or the physician) for appointment, request that the cancer committee chair or cancer registrar download, complete, and fax back the CLP Membership Application Form (40K PDF) to the Commission on Cancer. The cancer committee chair should sign and approve the application form.
Upon receipt of the membership application, Commission on Cancer staff will review it for completeness and bring any concerns to the attention of the respective State Chair for that area. NOTE: A CLP will not be appointed if he/she does not have an e-mail address.
Following confirmation of approval, the Commission will send a formal appointment letter and orientation packet to the new CLP. The appointment process is completed within one month from receipt of the membership application form.
All new CLPs are requested to attend an Orientation Web Conference to review the role and responsibilities of the CLP.
Notification of the new appointment is sent to the facility's administrator, cancer committee chair, cancer registrar, and local American Cancer Society (ACS) contacts.
Notification of appointment is also submitted to the Communications Department of the American College of Surgeons who prepare a press release, which is mailed to local media outlets.
Upon expiration of the CLP's term, the Commission on Cancer will send a reappointment letter to the cancer committee chair and cancer registrar. Reappointment should be based on overall performance and evaluation data collected at the time of survey.
If the cancer committee chooses to reappoint a CLP, then the Commission on Cancer must be notified. Completion of the membership application form is not necessary.

How are Cancer Liaison Physicians Evaluated?

Cancer Liaison Physicians (CLPs) are required to complete an evaluation of their activity every year during the Annual Update period. The CLP Activity Report is part of the Survey Application Record (SAR), now an electronic application completed by the cancer registrar prior to the on-site visit.

As part of the Annual Update and prior to the facility’s on-site survey, Cancer Liaison Physicians are required to complete the CLP Activity Report. This 13-item questionnaire evaluates CLP involvement at the facility and in support of CoC initiatives. Data collected from the CLP Activity Reports will help the CoC determine whether role clarification or additional support materials and resources are needed.

The appointed CLP should fill out the questionnaire and if the facility has more than one CLP, we ask that the two answer the report collaboratively. On site, the surveyor will verify this information with the CLP.

The data collected will be utilized in the following manner:

Reports are filed in the CLP's folder and reviewed at the time of reappointment.
Reports are compiled in a database and sent to the State Chairs on a quarterly basis so they can monitor performance of their CLPs and take corrective action if needed.
The Committee on Cancer Liaison will review cumulative data on an annual basis to determine whether role clarification is required as well as supportive materials and resources.
Aggregate data at the Division level is provided to the ACS so they can address concerns and respond appropriately.

Revised July 20, 2005

Cancer Liaison Program