Authors: Mark Whiteford, M.D., FACS, FASCRS, medical director, Colorectal Surgery and Dysplasia Clinic, Providence Cancer Institute
Jeffrey Manchio, M.D., FACS, FASCRS, Providence Cancer Institute
Providence Cancer Institute’s rectal cancer program is the first in the Northwest to earn accreditation from the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer. With services at Providence Portland and Providence St. Vincent, Providence is one of the largest providers of colon and rectal cancer care in Oregon.
To achieve NAPRC accreditation, a rectal center must demonstrate compliance with the many NAPRC standards addressing program management, clinical services and quality improvement efforts that influence patient outcomes.
Centers are required to establish a multidisciplinary rectal cancer team that includes clinical representatives from surgery, pathology, radiology, radiation oncology, medical oncology and nursing. The NAPRC is a quality program of the American College of Surgeons.
A growing number of patients with colon and rectal cancer come to Providence for their care. Providence Cancer Institute cares for one-fifth of patients diagnosed with benign and malignant conditions in Oregon annually. More rectal cancer procedures are performed at Providence Portland and Providence St. Vincent medical centers combined than other health systems in Portland.
Studies have shown that patients who receive care at a high-volume cancer center have superior outcomes to patients who receive care at lower-volume centers.
This NAPRC achievement demonstrates Providence Cancer Institute’s commitment to providing the best possible care to patients with rectal cancer. The accreditation provides the structure and resources for Providence to operate a high-quality rectal center dedicated to multidisciplinary, integrated, comprehensive rectal cancer services.
In addition, the Providence program met standards addressing the promptness of clinical services, including carcinoembryonic antigen testing, MRI and CT imaging for cancer staging. Rectal cancer programs accredited by the NAPRC undergo a site visit every three years and also are accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer.
Providence Cancer Institute patients benefit from early access to leading-edge therapies developed through clinical trials. Providence investigators specialize in testing and developing novel immunotherapies, targeted therapies, surgical techniques and other treatments for colon and rectal cancer.
Providence patients, for example, participated in clinical studies that led to the first immunotherapy that was approved as first-line treatment for advanced colorectal cancer. These and other clinical trials help provide patients with novel treatment options in the future.
Learn more about Providence Cancer Institute and the Providence Colorectal Cancer Program here: providenceoregon.org/colorectalcancer.
The accreditation for Providence Portland was spearheaded by Dr. Whiteford, who also is a colorectal surgeon at The Oregon Clinic.
To refer a patient to Dr. Whiteford, call: 503-215-6014
Dr. Manchio led the accreditation at Providence St. Vincent and also is affiliated with the NW Center for Colorectal Health.
To refer a patient to Dr. Manchio, call: 503-215-6014
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