The National Association For Continence (NAFC) has designated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center as a Center of Excellence: Continence Care (COE). Anurag K. Das, MD; Roger Lefevre, MD; Janet Li, MD; and Deborah A. Nagle, MD are the principle physicians for this COE.
NAFC's COE initiative was established to offer patients seeking solutions to their bladder and bowel control problems and related pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD), a reliable, trustworthy means of finding an experienced and well-trained interdisciplinary team of experts. Health care institutions seeking to apply for this designation must first meet pre-qualification requirements set by NAFC and its COE Governance Board. The designation process is based on evidence of extensive training, clinical experience, interdisciplinary resources, and patient satisfaction surveys, as well as an extensive site visit. A complete list of the requirements can be found on NAFC's website.
The Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital, is one of the nation's preeminent academic medical centers and is part of an expansive network of affiliated community hospitals. It is consistently ranked by US News and World Report as a "Best Hospital" in multiple categories, and it has also been ranked as top-in-category for urology and gynecology. BIDMC has a strong overarching commitment to patient-centered quality care, and utilizes expert physicians, advanced care systems, administrative leadership, diagnostic and support personnel in order to provide a consistently high level of clinical excellence.
The Pelvic Floor Disorders Network at BIDMC provides patients with a broad interdisciplinary approach to the evaluation and management of all manners of pelvic floor disorders, such as urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, overactive bladder, pelvic organ prolapse, rectal prolapse, urogenital fistulae and complex lower urinary tract disorders. In collaboration with their colleagues from Gastroenterology and Radiology, they utilize state-of-the-art diagnostic tools, such as dynamic pelvic MRI and 3-D anorectal manometry. They offer the full spectrum of therapeutic options, from on-site pelvic floor physical therapy, to innovative, minimally invasive, yet safe and effective, surgical options, such as neuromodulation and robotic surgery.
"It is an honor to be recognized as the first center in the Northeastern USA as a NAFC Center of Excellence" says Dr. Li. "This speaks to our goals - to provide a seamless integration of the many clinical disciplines required to care for our patients and to continue making strides in patient communication and safety. They are representative of the work being done by the NAFC and we couldn't be happier to join with them in this important endeavor."
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