To obtain this voluntary accreditation, the program met 19 standards.
CLEVELAND, October. – The Cleveland Clinic programs for the treatment of rectal cancer in Ohio and Florida have obtained a three-year accreditation from the National Rectal Cancer Accreditation Program (NAPRC), introduced in 2017 and administered by the American College of Surgeons (ACS).
The Cleveland Clinic rectal cancer programs are the first in Ohio and Florida to obtain this accreditation. So far, four sites across the country have obtained NAPRC accreditation.
To obtain voluntary accreditation, the Cleveland Clinic rectal cancer treatment program met 19 standards, including the presence of a multidisciplinary team dedicated to the treatment of rectal cancer (RC-MDT) that includes clinical representatives of surgery, pathology, radiology, radiation oncology, and medical oncology.
Thirteen of these standards address the clinical services that the program should provide, including CEA, MRI and CT tests to know the status of cancer and ensure a process by which the patient begins treatment within a defined time frame. One of the most important clinical norms requires that all patients with rectal cancer be presented at the RC-MDT meetings before and after treatment.
“We are very proud that our team has received this recognition,” said Dr. Matthew Kalady, co-director of the Cleveland Clinic Comprehensive Colorectal Cancer Program. “Rectal cancer requires the experience of many medical and surgical specialties and working together as a team is essential for patients to receive the best treatment with the highest quality. We have always addressed rectal cancer care with a multidisciplinary approach, and receiving this accreditation is an affirmation that our treatment of patients with rectal cancer meets the standards more stringent. ”
Steven Wexner, MD, president of the department of colorectal surgery at Cleveland Clinic Florida, and Matthew Kalady, MD, played a key role in presenting the initiative and facilitating its early implementation.
The NAPRC was developed through collaboration between the ACS Commission on Cancer, an ACS quality program and the OSTRiCh (Optimizing the Surgical Treatment of Rectal Cancer) consortium, as well as the American College of Radiology (ACR), American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS) and the College of American Pathologists (CAP). It is based on successful international models that emphasize the structure of the program, the processes of patient care, the improvement of the treatment and the measures for it. Its objective is to ensure that patients with rectal cancer receive adequate care with the practice of a multidisciplinary approach.
“When an oncological center achieves this type of specialized accreditation, it means that its rectal cancer patients will receive a modern and simplified evaluation and treatment for the disease. Compliance with our standards will ensure optimal care for these patients,” said David P. Winchester, MD, FACS, medical director of the ACS Cancer Programs.
About the American College of Surgeons
The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and improve the quality of care for patients who need surgery. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. His achievements have greatly influenced the trajectory of scientific surgery in the United States and have established him as an important advocate for all surgery patients. The College has more than 80,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world. For more information, visit www.facs.org (.)
About Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit academic medical center with several specialties that integrates clinical care and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, the clinic was founded in 1921 by four renowned doctors with the vision of providing medical care to the patient based on the principles of cooperation, compassion, and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical advances, including coronary revascularization surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S. News & World Report frequently rates Cleveland Clinic as one of the best hospitals in the nation in its annual survey “The best hospitals in the United States.”
Among the 52,000 Cleveland Clinic employees, there are more than 3,600 doctors and researchers who work full-time salary and 14,000 nurses, all of whom are dedicated to 140 medical specialties and subspecialties.
The Cleveland Clinic health system includes a 165-acre main campus located near downtown Cleveland, eleven community hospitals, more than 150 outpatient clinics in northern Ohio – even 18 full-service health centers for family and three health and wellness centers– and facilities in Weston, Florida; The Vegas, Nevada; Toronto Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and London, England. In 2017, there were 7.6 million outpatient visits, 229,000 hospital admissions, and 207,000 surgical cases throughout the Cleveland Clinic health system. Patients arrived to receive treatment from all states of the country and 185 countries. Visit us at clevelandclinic.org.
