Surgeon Babak Eghbalieh, M.D., who leads the Pancreatic Cancer Program at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center,  was recognized this week by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer as one of just 10 physicians across the country to receive the Cancer Liaison Physician Outstanding Performance Award.

There are more than 1,500 cancer liaison physicians nationwide who are responsible for evaluating, interpreting and reporting their individual cancer programs’ data and performance to ensure that high-quality care is being delivered to their cancer patients, according to Providence officials.

Having this information at their fingertips allows liaison physicians to collaborate with other disciplines to incorporate best practices into their respective cancer programs, according to officials.

Most cancer liaison physicians cover one hospital’s cancer program, however Dr. Eghbalieh serves as the liaison for Providence’s Integrated Cancer Network in Southern California, which is composed of five different hospital-based cancer programs in the Los Angeles Area.

“He has done an amazing job in this role and is truly deserving of this prestigious award,” said Dr. Rex Hoffman, chief medical officer at Providence Holy Cross, one of the hospitals within the network.

“Dr. Eghbalieh is not only meticulous about collecting the most up-to-date data, but studies it and shares his findings with his colleagues so the entire treatment team benefits from the opportunities,” Hoffman said. “With this new information in hand, he then champions initiatives to incorporate these learnings into the cancer program to ensure the best care is available to the cancer patients in the communities we serve.”

Some opportunities for improvement that have been identified include low rates of cancer screenings or the use of certain drugs or other therapies to prevent recurrences, according to officials.

“It’s a humbling moment in my life to be recognized for something I enjoy doing, which is to ensure cancer patients get everything they need for this journey,” Dr. Eghbalieh said. “Cancer liaisons review data, identify barriers and work with the cancer committee to make sure our goals are met, and we continually improve our cancer programs from diagnostics to treatment and through survivorship.”

He has served as a cancer liaison physician since 2008 and says the program is “near and dear to my heart, making sure cancer patients have everything they need.”

At Providence, Dr. Eghbalieh and his colleagues have had remarkable success in diagnosing and treating early-stage pancreatic cancer and researching potential genetic factors. The comprehensive pancreatic cancer care program at Providence Holy Cross is attributed to the collaboration among Dr. Eghbalieh and his colleagues, according to Providence officials.

Earlier this year Providence Holy Cross’s program was recognized as one of just three Pancreatic Cancer Centers of Excellence in California and the only one in the state at a community hospital, officials said.

This designation of being a Pancreatic Center of Excellence acknowledges the high quality, multi-faceted care, support, diagnostics and treatment of elusive yet very deadly pancreatic cancer and other related conditions available at Providence Holy Cross.

“This is a multi-disciplinary service line. On the clinical side, we have all the right specialists, gastroenterologists, interventional radiology, medical oncologists and a vascular surgeon for vascular reconstruction,” Dr. Eghbalieh said. “As a center of excellence, we are capable of providing care at the level of an academic medical center.”

Providence is a national, not-for-profit Catholic health system comprising a diverse family of organizations and driven by a belief that health is a human right. With 52 hospitals, over 1,000 physician clinics including in Santa Clarita, senior services, supportive housing, and many other health and educational services, the health system and its partners employ more than 120,000 caregivers serving communities across seven states: Alaska, California, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas and Washington

Learn more about Providence Holy Cross here.

Ed. Note: The above information was provided to KHTS by Providence Holy Cross.

KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.