Association for the Bladder Exstrophy Community Announces First Eight U.S. "Center of Excellence" Designees

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., August 24, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Association for the Bladder Exstrophy Community (A- BE-C), a global nonprofit organization providing education and support to bladder exstrophy patients and their families, has announced the following inaugural U.S. recipients of its new "Centers of Excellence" designation:

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• Boston Children's Hospital
• Children's Hospital Los Angeles
• Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
• Children's Hospital of Wisconsin
• Cincinnati Children's
• Johns Hopkins Children's Center
• Riley Children's Health
• Seattle Children's

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.    "These Centers of Excellence were 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 these institutions," says Aseem R. Shukla, M.D., a bladder exstrophy surgeon and clinical advisory board chair for A-BE-C. "We believe that this Center of Excellence 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 Block, 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 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 recognized experts who can guide them through the treatment of this complex and chronic health condition. The list of designees will grow as other centers that are meeting the standards apply for the designation.

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. Criteria, application information and submission guidelines are available online at https://www.bladderexstrophy.com/center-of-excellence-application/.

About Association for the Bladder Exstrophy Community (A-BE-C) A-BE-C is dedicated to supporting people who are affected by bladder exstrophy worldwide. Founded in 1995, the organization works to ensure all who live with this rare and life-altering condition have the opportunity to realize their greatest purpose and potential. Funding for the 501(c)(3) nonprofit's work comes from contributions from members, individual and corporate donors, and sponsors. http://www.bladderexstrophy.com

 

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