I think it's mostly branding - a marketing ploy. While they may follow MDA's standard protocols, I doubt if they are all that different from other standard protocols. For the patient, the most important criteria are the expertise and experience of the doctors, and the support staff, he deals with. The best doctors are often, but not always, associated with the large regional university/teaching hospitals.

Now, NCCN and NCI Cancer Center designations are somewhat different - they are often associated with many of the best hospitals and have to meet stringent criteria. But again, it's the doctor that is more important than the hospital.

The radiation oncology center I had my IGRT/IMRT is both M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, and accredited by the American College of Radiology (ACR).

"To achieve ACR-ASTRO Accreditation, our facility’s personnel qualifications, equipment requirements, quality assurance and quality control procedures have gone through a rigorous review process and have met specific qualifications. It’s important for patients to know that every aspect of the ACR-ASTRO accreditation process is overseen by board-certified, expert radiation oncologists and medical physicists."