Cheyenne Regional Medical Center Named GO2 for Lung Cancer Center of Excellence

CRMC is the first and only hospital in Wyoming to achieve Center of Excellence status

Cheyenne Regional Medical Center has been named a Center of Excellence by GO2 for Lung Cancer for its ongoing commitment to providing patient-centered, evidence-based lung cancer screening and a standardized process for the follow-up and management of incidentally detected pulmonary nodules.

CRMC received Center of Excellence designations in both Lung Cancer Screening and Incidental Pulmonary Nodules. CRMC is the first and only hospital in Wyoming to achieve GO2 for Lung Cancer Center of Excellence status.

An estimated 237,000 Americans are diagnosed with lung cancer annually, with many cases found at an advanced stage of the disease. Lung cancer has long been the leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. Screening individuals at high risk for lung cancer using low-dose computed tomography, or LDCT, can help find the disease early, when it is most treatable and even curable.

Approximately 20% of patients diagnosed with lung cancer have no tobacco history and do not meet current guidelines for screening. Identification and management of incidentally detected pulmonary nodules can increase overall survival rates and improve clinical outcomes.

“Being the first and only hospital in Wyoming to achieve this designation demonstrates that patients in our community and surrounding region do not have to leave the state to receive high quality lung cancer care,” said Rage Geringer, MD, pulmonologist at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center. “Lung cancer is much more treatable when it is caught early, which makes appropriate follow up of incidental pulmonary nodules incredibly important. While most nodules are not cancer, our team has the technology and expertise to identify, biopsy and diagnose cancers at smaller sizes than ever before. This recognition reflects the hard work and dedication of our staff and our commitment to continuing to push medicine forward in our great state.”

GO2 Centers of Excellence designated in lung cancer screening are committed to the principles of patient-centered communication and decision-making across the entire care pathway. Centers implement screening in accordance with current evidence and clinical guidelines and coordinate patient follow-up, diagnostics and transition to treatment through a multidisciplinary clinical process.

The Incidental Pulmonary Nodules designation recognizes CRMC for providing a structured program that captures incidentally found lung nodules from imaging. The program includes standardized processes for patient follow-up and reporting across the health system, including multidisciplinary management, patient communication, smoking cessation counseling, nodule reporting and tracking, and internal clinical outcomes review and quality improvement processes based on best practice recommendations.

“We are proud to have Cheyenne Regional Medical Center join the community of GO2 for Lung Cancer Centers of Excellence that is national in scope and local in impact,” said Joelle Fathi, chief healthcare delivery officer for GO2 for Lung Cancer. “Across the U.S., the majority of people at risk for or living with lung cancer are served by a local community hospital near their home. Through the GO2 COE network of community hospitals, clinics, and academic and VA medical centers, we are fostering and supporting essential knowledge sharing and collaboration that brings national and global advancements in early detection, treatment and care close to home.”