Center of Excellence Added to Distinguished List
A-BE-C is excited to announce the addition of Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago to its prestigious list of Centers of Excellence.
Association for the Bladder Exstrophy Community (A- BE-C) is pleased to add Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago to its prestigious list of Centers of Excellence.
A-BE-C’s Centers of Excellence program is the first to identify centers of care that report meeting the highest standards of treatment, including post-operative and long-term care for bladder and cloacal exstrophy.
“Lurie Children’s Hospital was selected after their completion of a rigorous application process that was reviewed by peers and colleagues across disciplines, and we are confident that families affected by exstrophy will find comprehensive and highly skilled care at this institution,” says Aseem R. Shukla, M.D., a bladder exstrophy surgeon and clinical advisory board chair for A-BE-C. “We believe that this COE framework will be adopted by other leading academic medical centers to guide their progress from good care to best-in-class.
Bladder exstrophy is a rare birth defect in which the bladder has not formed correctly at birth. In most cases, the bladder and genitals are split in half, turned inside out and sit outside the body. Treatment requires surgical reconstruction. With surgery and other treatment, children born with exstrophy can lead normal, healthy and active lives.
“The diagnosis of bladder exstrophy is initially frightening for parents, especially since many primary care physicians, gynecologists and obstetricians have never heard of it, says Pamela Artigas, executive director of A-BE-C. “The Center of Excellence program is all about helping patients and families quickly find the quality care they need.”
About A-BE-C’s Centers of Excellence Program
The widely anticipated Centers of Excellence, a program of A-BE-C, has been established to address the challenge parents of children born with bladder or cloacal exstrophy face in finding accurate information and expert treatment. The program aims to provide families with the information they need to connect with experts who can guide them through the treatment of this complex and chronic health condition.
Center of Excellence designees report meeting rigorous criteria for comprehensive care, delivery, professional education and patient outreach services. Each is required to renew annually and undergo a “Quality Improvement and Evaluation” every five years to maintain the designation.
Click here to view a complete list of A-BE-C’s Centers of Excellence.
View a complete list of criteria or contact us for more information about the application process.
