Cancer Center is the first and only in city and state; one of only 15 facilities in country to receive accreditation
(Baton Rouge, La.) As colorectal cancer rates across the country continue to rise, especially in people 50-years-old and under, Mary Bird Perkins – Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center is enhancing its ability to provide a higher standard of care for those throughout the Gulf South diagnosed with this disease. The Cancer Center has announced that it has earned a three-year accreditation from the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC), a quality program of the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer.
“A team approach is the most effective way to diagnose and treat rectal cancer,” said Kelly Finan, M.D., a colorectal cancer surgeon with Our Lady of the Lake Physician Group and chair of the rectal multidisciplinary team at Mary Bird Perkins – Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center. “Through this NAPRC accreditation process, as a specialized team of doctors, we have made the commitment to review each and every patient before treatment begins to make sure we are providing the most comprehensive, effective care plan. It really allows us to offer the most individualized treatments and advances our rectal cancer treatment practices and protocols at every level.”
Linda Lee, vice president of the Cancer Center, said that in order to achieve NAPRC accreditation, the multidisciplinary team must include surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, pathologists, radiologists and other specialists. Genetic counseling is also a part of the process, especially if a patient has a family history of colorectal cancer.
“Being one of only 15 cancer centers in the country to date to have received this recognition shows the level of dedication and talent that exists within the organization,” said Lee. “It’s a powerful resource when you have brilliant cancer minds representing a plethora of specialties reviewing every aspect of a patient’s care; it truly sets the standard for a higher level of clinical expertise, which translates to better chances for a cure. As the only cancer center in Baton Rouge and Louisiana to achieve this accreditation, we are truly excited to be able to offer this exemplary care close to home.”
To achieve NAPRC accreditation, a rectal cancer center demonstrates compliance with the NAPRC standards that emphasize Program Management, Clinical Services and Quality Improvement. In addition, programs must meet standards in addressing the clinical services that the rectal cancer program provides, including Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) testing, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Computerize Tomography (CT) imaging for cancer staging, and ensuring that a patient starts treatment within a defined time frame. Rectal centers seeking accreditation must be accredited by the Commission on Cancer and undergo a site visit every three years.
The Cancer Center is also on the leading-edge of education, prevention and detection of colorectal cancer. The organization was recently accepted into the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable, a collaborative partnership with more than 100 member organizations across the nation, committed to taking action in the screening, prevention, and early detection of colorectal cancer. As part of this network, the Cancer Center will collaborate with other facilities to share and learn best practices to enhance awareness of colorectal cancer in its continuing efforts to detect the disease earlier when it is more treatable and a favorable outcome is more likely. The Cancer Center’s Prevention on the Go program travels throughout Southeast Louisiana offering cancer education and early detection services via its mobile medical unit.
The U.S. News and World Report in 2019 ranked the Cancer Center’s colorectal surgery program as a high-performing site, based on a number of key quality indicators.
For more information on rectal cancer or the Cancer Center’s multidisciplinary rectal cancer team, visit marybirdlake.org/rectal.
About Mary Bird Perkins – Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center
As a regional destination for cancer care, Mary Bird Perkins – Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center offers the most advanced technology and services provided by a dedicated team of nationally-recognized oncology experts. The Cancer Center provides best-practice, comprehensive care at every stage of the cancer journey, including disease site-specific multidisciplinary care teams, a robust clinical research program, extensive supportive care services and is the only facility in the Gulf South with the revolutionary Leksell Gamma Knife®Icon™. The American College of Surgeons has named the Cancer Center a recipient of its prestigious Outstanding Achievement Award for three consecutive survey cycles. As a nonprofit organization, donor generosity is essential to sustaining the mission of improving survivorship and lessening the burden of cancer for so many throughout Southeast Louisiana and beyond. For more information on the Cancer Center, and how you can become involved, please visit marybirdlake.org.
About Our Lady of the Lake Physician Group
With 500-plus healthcare providers across more than 100 locations, Our Lady of the Lake Physician Group is the area’s largest physician network. In addition to primary care, this experienced group of doctors specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of a broad range of illnesses and complex medical problems. For more information or to find a doctor, visit ololrmc.com.
About the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer
The NAPRC was developed through a collaboration between the Commission on Cancer (CoC), a quality program of the American College of Surgeons, 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). The NAPRC 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. For more information about the program, and instructions on how to apply for accreditation, please visit the NAPRC website, or contact NAPRC@facs.org.