“I am incredibly proud of the entire multidisciplinary team of clinicians who are and have been dedicated to providing the safest, highest quality care to our patients for the past two decades,” says John Marks, MD, section chief of colorectal surgery at Main Line Health, and medical director of the Harry Paul Mirabile, Sr., Colorectal Cancer Center at Lankenau Medical Center, part of Main Line Health. “This accreditation program has been developed to raise the standard of care of rectal cancer patients across the United States. At Lankenau Medical Center, we are pioneers in the field of rectal cancer with a focus on both curing the rectal cancer patient while also avoiding a permanent colostomy bag. We are incredibly proud of this recognition, which further demonstrates our commitment to scientific discovery, innovative surgical techniques and superior patient outcomes.”

Dr. Marks has introduced several surgical techniques, including the transanal abdominal transanal radical proctosigmoidectomy (TATA), the transanal total mesorectal excision (taTME), and the transanal endoscopic microsurgery and single incision laparoscopic procedures, to spare colon and sphincter function with little to no scarring. These procedures have resulted in thousands of patients going on to lead normal lives after a diagnosis of colon and rectal cancers. His expertise continues to receive attention from across the nation and the globe, with patients traveling from Mexico, Nepal, Europe and Africa, among other places. Currently, Lankenau Medical Center is the only center in the county utilizing the new single-port robot to treat rectal cancer.

”I want to applaud the efforts of the entire rectal cancer program team on this achievement,” says Phil Robinson, president, Lankenau Medical Center. “This accreditation demonstrates what we have already known here at Main Line Health—that Dr. Marks and his team are doing exceptional work, providing the most advanced care with the best possible outcomes for our patients, and leading in the field of colorectal cancers.”

The NAPRC was developed through a collaboration between the ACS Commission on Cancer (CoC), an ACS quality program, and the Optimizing the Surgical Treatment of Rectal Cancer (OSTRiCh) Consortium, as well as the American College of Radiology (ACR), the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS), and the College of American Pathologists (CAP). It is based on successful international models that emphasize program structure, patient care processes, performance improvement, and performance measures. Its goal is to ensure that rectal cancer patients receive appropriate care using a multidisciplinary approach.

For more information about colorectal cancer services at Main Line Health, visit mainlinehealth.org/colorectal.

Founded in 1985, Main Line Health is a not-for-profit health system serving Philadelphia and its western suburbs. Main Line Health's commitment—to deliver advanced medicine for treating and curing disease, playing an important role in prevention and disease management as well as training physicians and other health care providers—reflects our intent to be the region's premier choice for clinical care, research, and education. A team of more than 10,000 employees, 3,000 nurses and 2,000 physicians care for patients throughout the Main Line Health System.

At Main Line Health's core are four of the region's most respected acute care hospitals—Lankenau Medical Center, Bryn Mawr Hospital, Paoli Hospital and Riddle Hospital—as well as one of the nation's premier facilities for rehabilitative medicine, Bryn Mawr Rehabilitation Hospital.

Main Line Health also includes Mirmont Treatment Center for drug and alcohol recovery; Main Line Health HomeCare & Hospice, which includes skilled home health care, hospice and home infusion services; Main Line Health Centers, primary and specialty care, lab and radiology, and other outpatient services located in Broomall, Collegeville, Concordville, Exton, King of Prussia and Newtown Square; Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, a biomedical research organization; and Main Line HealthCare, one of the region's largest multispecialty physician networks.

Main Line Health is the recipient of numerous awards for quality care, and service, including U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals, System Magnet® designation; the nation's highest distinction for nursing excellence and the Mid-Atlantic Alliance for Performance Excellence (MAAPE) Excellence Award. Main Line Health is committed to creating an environment of diversity, respect, equity, and inclusion, has proudly received awards in this area and has embraced the American Hospital Association's #123forEquity Pledge to Act to eliminate disparities in care. We are dedicated to advancing patient-centered care, education, and research to help patients stay healthy and live their best lives.

For more information, visit mainlinehealth.org and connect with us on social media:

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