CHICAGO: Today cardiothoracic surgeon Timothy W. Mullett, MD, FACS, Lexington, Ky., has begun a two-year term as chair of the Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). Dr. Mullett has been serving as the Chair-elect of the CoC for the past year.
Dr. Mullett, Medical Director, Markey Cancer Center Affiliate Network, is a surgical oncologist who specializes in the treatment of lung cancer. Although he began his career at the University of Kentucky as a cardiothoracic surgeon treating heart issues, he soon shifted his professional focus to treating lung cancer, one of the state’s major health problems. Today, he is a co-leader and principal investigator of the Kentucky LEADS Collaborative to improve lung cancer survival.
In addition to his work in lung cancer research, Dr. Mullett serves as the chair of UK’s cancer committee and the medical director of the Markey Cancer Center Research Network, a collaborative network that conducts high priority trials including therapeutic oncology trials and interventional and non-interventional studies for community centers.
Dr. Mullett has worked closely over the last year with CoC leaders, including outgoing CoC Chair, medical oncologist Lawrence Shulman, MD, to ensure the mission and initiatives of the Commission on Cancer remain at the forefront of quality care for cancer patients across the nation who are treated at the CoC’s accredited cancer programs.
“The Commission on Cancer is an excellent organization and it’s a privilege to be able to serve as Chair,” Dr. Mullett said. During his term, he looks forward to improving the interconnectedness of cancer programs across the CoC. “As Chair, I’m interested in enhancing the connection to rural cancer programs and using some of the data we can achieve from the National Cancer Database to address cancer disparities that exist.”
The CoC’s accreditation program encourages hospitals, treatment centers and other facilities to improve their quality of patient care through various cancer-related services. The CoC maintains numerous reporting tools to aid cancer treatment and research facilities in benchmarking and improving patient outcomes. It also maintains the National Cancer Database (NCDB) which tracks national trends and demographics of cancer incidence. There are currently more than 1,500 CoC-accredited cancer programs in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, representing 30 percent of all hospitals. CoC-accredited facilities diagnose and/or treat more than 70 percent of all newly diagnosed cancer patients each year.
In his role as Chair, Dr. Mullett will serve as the spokesperson for oncology issues addressed by the organization, identify priorities for the CoC and National Cancer Database, and enhance the relationship between the CoC and its accredited hospital programs. He will also serve as an ex-officio member of all the CoC’s subcommittees and work groups, and as a liaison to the ACS Program Committee.
Established in 1922 by the ACS, the CoC is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving patient outcomes and quality of life for cancer patients through standard-setting, prevention, research, education and the monitoring of comprehensive quality care. For more information on the CoC, visit: https://www.facs.org/quality-programs/cancer/coc.
