Swedish Cancer Institute earns National Pancreas Foundation Center designation
The designation recognizes excellence in the treatment of patients with pancreatic cancer.
The Swedish Cancer Institute (SCI) has been nationally recognized as an approved NPF Center by the National Pancreas Foundation. NPF Centers are awarded after a rigorous audit review to determine that an institution’s focus is on multidisciplinary treatment of pancreatic cancer, treating the whole patient, with a focus on the best possible outcomes and an improved quality of life.
“We are honored that SCI has been designated as a NPF Center for treatment of pancreatic cancer,” said Dr. Elizabeth Wako, president and CEO, Swedish Health Services. “Having the NPF Center designation will help distinguish Swedish's focus on providing the best and most innovative care possible.”
“We are thrilled to expand our NPF Centers of Excellence Program to better serve the needs of patients suffering from pancreas disease,” said Jenny Pagel-Guile, executive director of the National Pancreas Foundation. “The NPF Centers of Excellence Program is one of the pillars of NPF, and we are looking forward to working with our current and new Centers.”
An approved NPF Center must meet the criteria that were developed by a task force made up of invited subject matter experts and patient advocates. The criteria include having the required expert physician specialists, such as gastroenterologists, pancreas surgeons, and interventional radiologists, along with more patient-focused programs, such as a pain management service, psychosocial support and more.
“As a member of the oncology department team, I am very proud of this achievement,” says SCI Executive Medical Director and Chief Medical Officer of Providence Swedish Clinical Institutes Sara Jo Grethlein, M.D., MBA, FACP. “This award is certainly validation of our entire multidisciplinary team’s delivery of excellent patient care.”
For more information about the National Pancreas Foundation, please visit www.pancreasfoundation.org.
About Providence Swedish
Providence Swedish has served the Puget Sound region since the first Providence hospital opened in Seattle in 1877 and the first Swedish hospital opened in 1910. The two organizations affiliated in 2012 and today comprise the largest health care delivery system in Western Washington, with 22,000 caregivers, eight hospitals and 244 clinics. A not-for-profit family of organizations, Providence Swedish provides more than $406 million in community benefit in the Puget Sound Region each year. The health system offers a comprehensive range of services and specialty and subspecialty care in a number of clinical areas, including cancer, cardiovascular health, neurosciences, orthopedics, digestive health and women’s and children’s care.
About The National Pancreas Foundation
Founded in 1997, The National Pancreas Foundation provides hope for those suffering from pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer through funding cutting-edge research, advocating for new and better therapies and providing support and education for patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals. The NPF is the only foundation dedicated to patients suffering from all forms of pancreas disease. For more information visit: www.pancreasfoundation.org
