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UVA Health has been nationally recognized as an Academic Center of Excellence for Pancreatic Cancer by the National Pancreas Foundation (NPF). This adds to UVA’s existing NPF designation of being a Pancreatitis Center since 2016. NPF Centers are awarded after a rigorous audit review to determine that an institution's focus is on multidisciplinary treatment of pancreatic cancer and pancreatitis, treating the “whole patient” with a focus on the best possible outcomes and an improved quality of life. 

“We are honored to be designated as an NPF Center of Excellence for treatment of pancreatic cancer,” said Daniel Strand, MD, Medical Director of the UVA NPF Pancreatitis Center, Director of Pancreatobiliary Endoscopy, Associate Professor of Medicine. “Having the NPF Center designation will help distinguish us as an institution whose focus is on providing the best and most innovative care possible. This award is certainly validation of our entire team’s delivery of excellent patient care”

For patients, the NPF offers resources including an animated pancreas patient, educational literature, an online support community, nutrition information, and access to a registry of clinical trials. For physicians, this acts as a consortium to facilitate research in pancreatitis (and now pancreatic cancer), including potentially grant access.

“As a pancreatitis/cancer center,” says Strand, “the NPF has published criteria for nomination and approval, and essentially recognized UVA as leader in excellent patient care. Additionally, the academic designation — which is new and harder to achieve — really demonstrates that we have cutting-edge offerings for patients including the opportunity for clinical trials.”

“We are thrilled to expand our NPF Centers of Excellence Program to better serve the needs of patients suffering from pancreas disease,” said David Bakelman, CEO 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 has to 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 specialties such as gastroenterologists, pancreas surgeons, and interventional radiologists, along with more patient focused programs such as a pain management service, psychosocial support and more. 

For more information about the National Pancreas Foundation, please visit www.pancreasfoundation.org.