Tennessee Oncology Earned FACT Accreditation

The practice became the first community oncology group to secure the new standards for cell therapy care.

Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in Cancer

Isometric editorial illustration of laboratory equipment including a centrifuge and specimen vials, representing advancements in clinical oncology standards. — Tennessee Oncology became the first community-based oncology group to achieve FACT accreditation for immune effector cell therapy, expanding local access to complex care. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Tennessee Oncology achieved FACT accreditation on September 1, 2026, marking a milestone for community-based cancer care. It is the first community oncology practice to meet these standards for immune effector cell therapy.

Why it matters

The accreditation aims to expand access to complex cellular therapies, as community-based care can reduce travel burdens for patients and improve treatment adherence.

FACT has accredited 346 programs across 28 countries since its 1996 founding. Tennessee Oncology is the first practice to satisfy the Community IEC Standards, which were officially published in November 2025.

The players

Tennessee Oncology

This is a community-based oncology practice that provides specialized cancer care to patients across the state.

FACT

The Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy is an organization that establishes standards for the collection and administration of cellular therapies.

OneOncology

This is a national network of community oncology practices that plans to support additional sites as they pursue the same accreditation.

The details

The accreditation process follows the newly established Community IEC Standards, which adapt rigorous international protocols for community-based oncology settings. A multistakeholder working group developed these standards to ensure quality and safety in patient care.

FACT was founded in 1996.
FACT published the Community IEC Standards in November 2025.
Tennessee Oncology achieved accreditation on September 1, 2026.

The Big Picture

The new standards serve as a community-focused extension of the FACT-JACIE International Standards for Immune Effector Cells. This accreditation marks a shift in how high-level cellular therapy protocols are integrated into local care environments.

Patients may now access complex immune effector cell therapies closer to their homes in Tennessee. This local availability potentially reduces the need for long-distance travel and helps patients maintain consistent treatment adherence.

The takeaway

This accreditation highlights a broader move toward decentralizing advanced medical treatments by moving them from academic centers to local communities. Patients in Tennessee can now benefit from specialized care protocols that were previously only available at major research hospitals.