September 14, 2016 – The Pancreas Center at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia has been designated as a Center for the Care and Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer by the National Pancreas Foundation. This new accreditation comes as a welcome addition to the Center’s previous designation as a Center for the Care and Treatment of Pancreatitis. NPF Centers are premier healthcare facilities that focus on multidisciplinary treatment of pancreatic cancer, treating the “whole patient” with a focus on the best possible outcomes and an improved quality of life.
Approved NPF Centers go through an extensive auditing process and meet the criteria that were developed by a task force made up of invited subject matter experts and patient advocates. The criteria includes having the required expert physician specialties such as oncologists, gastroenterologists, pancreas surgeons, clinical trials, palliative care, and interventional radiologists, along with more patient focused programs such as a pain management service, psychosocial support and more. For a full listing of the criteria, please visit the NPF website, www.pancreasfoundation.org.
The NPF Centers designation will help facilitate the development of high-quality, multidisciplinary care approaches for the field. Designated centers will also seek to advance research and lead the way for heightened awareness and understanding of pancreatic cancer among community physicians, allied health professionals, patients, families and the general public.