BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., March 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Center for Radiation Therapy of Beverly Hills, a state-of-the-art cancer treatment center serving cancer patients in the Los Angeles area, has been awarded a three-year term of accreditation in radiation oncology as the result of a recent review by the American College of Radiology (ACR) and The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

Radiation oncology (radiation therapy) is the careful use of high-energy radiation to treat cancer. A radiation oncologist may use radiation to cure cancer or to relieve a cancer patient's pain.

The ACR-ASTRO seal of accreditation represents the highest level of quality and patient safety. It is awarded only to facilities meeting specific practice guidelines and technical standards developed by ACR and ASTRO after a peer-review evaluation by board-certified radiation oncologists and medical physicists who are experts in the field.

Patient care and treatment, patient safety, personnel qualifications, adequacy of facility equipment, quality control procedures, and quality assurance programs are assessed in the review process. The findings are reported to the ACR-ASTRO Committee on Radiation Oncology Accreditation, which subsequently provides the practice with a comprehensive report it can use for continuous practice improvement.

The Center for Radiation Therapy of Beverly Hills, part of the Tower Hematology Oncology Medical Group, voluntarily underwent the rigorous review process to ensure the practice meets nationally accepted standards of care as determined by ACR. It is the first free-standing radiation center in California, and only the second radiation facility of any kind in the Los Angeles area, to earn the accreditation.

"We are honored to receive this prestigious accreditation, which acknowledges that the center's medical personnel are well qualified, through education and certification, to administer radiation therapy treatments," said Christopher M. Rose, M.D., Medical Director of The Center for Radiation Therapy of Beverly Hills and Chief Technology Officer of Valley Radiotherapy Associates. "We look forward to continuing to offer patients the most effective and up-to-date treatment options, and providing care that meets the highest quality standards."

Barry Rosenbloom, M.D., Managing Partner of the Tower Hematology Oncology Medical Group, said the accreditation reflects the entire group's commitment to safety and unsurpassed patient care.

"Earning the ACR-ASTRO accreditation ensures our patients that they will receive appropriate treatment from skilled medical professionals using superbly maintained equipment, in a facility that meets the most demanding professional benchmarks for safety and quality assurance," Dr. Rosenbloom asserted.

The ACR is a national professional organization serving more than 34,000 diagnostic and interventional radiologists, radiation oncologists, nuclear medicine physicians, and medical physicists, with programs focusing on the practice of medical imaging and radiation oncology and the delivery of comprehensive health care services. ASTRO is a professional organization serving more than 10,000 radiation oncologists, medical physicists, and other health care professionals involved in the treatment of cancer patients.

About The Center for Radiation Therapy of Beverly Hills

Established in 2006 by Tower Hematology Oncology Medical Group, The Center for Radiation Therapy of Beverly Hills (RTBH) is centrally located in the heart of Beverly Hills and adjacent to the cities of Santa Monica and Los Angeles. RTBH provides oncology patients with state-of-the-art radiation therapy care by a team of highly trained and experienced clinicians. Its above-ground design creates a highly accessible treatment environment. RTBH was the first treatment center in Southern California to implement RapidArc™ radiotherapy technology from Varian Medical Systems, a revolutionary breakthrough in cancer treatment that delivers powerful tumor-destroying radiation with unprecedented speed and remarkable precision. For more information, please visit www.rtbh.net.

About Valley Radiotherapy Associates Medical Group, Inc.

Valley Radiotherapy Associates Medical Group, Inc. (VRA) was founded by Leslie E. Botnick, M.D. and Christopher M. Rose, M.D. in June 1983 to deliver quality radiation oncology services. Today, Manhattan Beach, Calif.-based VRA has 34 board-certified radiation oncologists and provides advanced radiation therapy services to communities at 17 hospitals and freestanding centers in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, Imperial Valley and San Bernardino Counties in California and Denver, Colorado. VRA has distinguished itself during the past 25 years as one of the premier radiation oncology groups in the nation with a proven record of excellence in clinical treatment, superiority in service delivery and technical acumen to develop new cancer treatment programs. For more information about VRA, visit www.valley-radiotherapy.com.

SOURCE The Center for Radiation Therapy of Beverly Hills