Cleveland Clinic?s rectal cancer program, based in Cleveland, Ohio, and Weston, Florida, has earned a three-year accreditation from the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC), a program launched in 2017 and administered by the American College of Surgeons (ACS).

Cleveland Clinic?s rectal cancer program is the first in Ohio and Florida to earn this accreditation.

So far, four sites nationwide have earned the NAPRC accreditation.

To earn the voluntary accreditation, Cleveland Clinic?s rectal cancer program met 19 standards, including the presence of a rectal cancer multidisciplinary team (RC-MDT) that includes clinical representatives from surgery, pathology, radiology, radiation oncology, and medical oncology.

Thirteen of those standards address clinical services that the program was required to provide, including CEA testing, MRI and CT imaging for cancer staging, and ensuring a process whereby the patient starts treatment within a defined timeframe. One of the most important clinical standards requires all rectal cancer patients to be presented at both pre- and post-treatment RC-MDT meetings.

?We are very proud that our team received this recognition,? said Matthew Kalady, M.D., Co-Director of the Cleveland Clinic Comprehensive Colorectal Cancer Program. ?Rectal cancer requires the expertise of many medical and surgical specialties, and working together as one team is critical so that patients receive the most appropriate and highest quality care. We have always approached rectal cancer care with a multidisciplinary approach, and receiving this accreditation affirms that our management of patients with rectal cancer meets the highest standards.?

Steven Wexner, MD, Chairman of Cleveland Clinic Florida?s Department of Colorectal Surgery, and Matthew Kalady, MD, played an instrumental role in launching the initiative and facilitating its early implementation.

The NAPRC was developed through a collaboration between the ACS Commission on Cancer (CoC), an ACS quality program, and the Optimizing the Surgical Treatment of Rectal Cancer (OSTRiCh) Consortium, as well as the American College of Radiology (ACR), the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS), and the College of American Pathologists (CAP). It is based on successful international models that emphasize program structure, patient care processes, performance improvement, and performance measures. Its goal is to ensure that rectal cancer patients receive appropriate care using a multidisciplinary approach.

?When a cancer center achieves this type of specialized accreditation it means that their rectal cancer patients will receive streamlined, modern evaluation and treatment for the disease. Compliance with our standards will assure optimal care for these patients,? said David P. Winchester, MD, FACS, Medical Director of ACS Cancer Programs.

For more information about the program and accreditation, please visit:

https://www.facs.org/quality-programs/cancer/naprc

https://www.facs.org/media/press-releases/2018/naprc032318

https://consultqd.clevelandclinic.org/developing-the-national-accreditation-program-for-rectal-cancer/

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 surgical patients. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical 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 multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S. News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation?s best hospitals in its annual ?America?s Best Hospitals? survey. Among Cleveland Clinic?s 52,000 employees are more than 3,600 full-time salaried physicians and researchers and 14,000 nurses, representing 140 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic?s health system includes a 165-acre main campus near downtown Cleveland, 11 regional hospitals, more than 150 northern Ohio outpatient locations ? including 18 full-service family health centers and three health and wellness centers ? and locations in Weston, Fla.; Las Vegas, Nev.; 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 Cleveland Clinic?s health system. Patients came for treatment from every state and 185 countries. Visit us at clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at twitter.com/ClevelandClinic. News and resources available at newsroom.clevelandclinic.org.