UPMC Earns Rectal Cancer Accreditation from American College of Surgeons
January 16, 2024
The UPMC Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery has earned a three-year accreditation from the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC), a quality program of the American College of Surgeons.
To achieve voluntary NAPRC accreditation, a rectal cancer treatment center must be compliant with NAPRC’s standards addressing program management, clinical services, and quality improvement for patients.
“We have one of the highest volume rectal cancer programs in western Pennsylvania and our neighboring states,” explains James Celebrezze, MD, director of the rectal cancer multidisciplinary team at UPMC Passavant and UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside. “Rectal cancer care is always evolving, and it’s our goal to treat patients in a way that’s above the standard of care.”
NAPRC-accredited centers must establish a multidisciplinary rectal cancer team that includes clinical representatives from surgery, pathology, radiology, radiation oncology, and medical oncology.
Equipped with 25 years of experience, Dr. Celebrezze says his team specifically focuses on how to improve cure rates without impacting a patient’s quality of life.
“By taking a multimodality approach – in which surgeons work closely with medical oncologists and radiation oncologists – many of our patients are able to avoid surgery, saving them from potential risks.”
But Dr. Celebrezze cautions this is “not a get-out-of-jail-free card.”
“We realize not everyone is going to stay cancer-free, so we continue to closely monitor them.”
The UPMC team understands how much patients value convenience, especially if they don’t live in close proximity to Pittsburgh-based hospitals. After surgeons see patients for an initial, in-person evaluation, they consult with oncologists and develop a treatment plan to recommend.
“We prioritize coordination of care for our patients,” explains Kim Sainiak, MSN, nurse and clinical administrator, UPMC Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery. “If our patients live in another area, we identify which medical offices we can contact closer to home, schedule those appointments for the patient, order any testing that can be done locally, and if surgery is ultimately deemed necessary once treatments are complete, we will continue to coordinate care for years to come as we follow them in their cancer survival care.”
And Dr. Celebrezze adds that, at UPMC, patients will always feel like a priority, throughout every step of their journey.
“I’m here to treat people – not a diagnosis or test results. Patients who come to see us often have questions and are anxious about what to expect. From the moment they step through the door and see a smiling face at the receptionist desk, to the administrative assistants, nurses, and other members of the team they encounter along the way – everyone is phenomenal at fostering a family-like atmosphere and creating a strong level of comfort.”
To earn NAPRC accreditation, UPMC’s rectal cancer program also met standards addressing the clinical services the rectal cancer program provides, including Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA testing), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and Computerized Tomography (CT) imaging for cancer staging, which allow patients to start treatment within a defined timeframe. Rectal cancer programs accredited by the NAPRC undergo a site visit every three years and are also accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer.
