The Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai Queens Achieve NAPRC Accreditation for Rectal Cancer Care
From left to right: Patricia Sylla, MD, NAPRC Program Co-Director; Laura Caplan, PA, NAPRC Program Coordinator; and Peter Kozuch, MD, NAPRC Program Co-Director.
Photo credit Mount Sinai Health System
In recognition of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, the Mount Sinai Tisch Cancer Center proudly announces that the rectal cancer programs at The Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai Queens have earned a three-year accreditation from the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC), a distinction that reflects the highest standards in rectal cancer care.
Colorectal cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States and is now the leading cause of cancer-related mortality among adults under age 50. These trends underscore the critical importance of screening beginning at age 45, prompt evaluation of symptoms such as rectal bleeding, and timely referral to specialized multidisciplinary centers.
“Mount Sinai is one of the largest rectal cancer programs in the region to achieve this recognition,” said Patricia Sylla, MD, Chief of the Mount Sinai Health System’s Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery and Co-Director of the NAPRC. “Our program brings together more than 40 dedicated specialists—including colorectal surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, advanced practice practitioners, and trainees—who collaborate to deliver truly comprehensive, patient-centered care. This accreditation, which was more than three years in the making, reflects Mount Sinai’s unwavering commitment to excellence, continuous quality improvement, and integrated care for patients with rectal cancer.”
Established by the American College of Surgeons, the NAPRC sets rigorous evidence-based standards designed to improve outcomes and ensure that patients with rectal cancer receive coordinated high-quality multidisciplinary care. Accreditation is awarded only to programs demonstrating excellence in clinical care, program structure, quality improvement, and data-driven performance.
NAPRC accreditation requires strict adherence to best practices in diagnosis, staging, treatment planning, and survivorship, as well as ongoing evaluation of clinical outcomes.
“One of the most gratifying aspects of pursuing NAPRC accreditation was witnessing the extraordinary collaboration across our multidisciplinary colorectal cancer team,” said Peter Kozuch, MD, Site Director for the Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology at Mount Sinai West and Co-Director of NAPRC. “Our weekly multidisciplinary tumor board exemplifies this teamwork, providing patients and referring physicians with expert guidance at every pivotal point in care. Achieving accreditation for one of the largest and most diverse colorectal cancer teams in the country marks a significant milestone in our mission to serve patients and communities with world-leading cancer care.”
“NAPRC standards promote continuous learning, innovation, and quality improvement,” Dr. Kozuch added. “Pursuing this accreditation has strengthened Mount Sinai’s educational mission. It is incredibly rewarding to see trainees across specialties engage with our processes and contribute to advancing care.”
The NAPRC accreditation affirms Mount Sinai’s leadership in rectal cancer treatment and its dedication to delivering coordinated, evidence-based care designed to improve patient outcomes.
Mount Sinai Colon and Rectal Cancer Treatment and Screening locations:
The Mount Sinai Hospital: 1468 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029
Mount Sinai Queens: 25-10 30th Avenue, Astoria, NY 11102
We have excellent care in New York City and the surrounding suburbs:
https://www.mountsinai.org/care/cancer/services/colon/locations
About the Mount Sinai Health System
Mount Sinai Health System is one of the nation’s leading integrated academic health systems and one of the largest in the New York metropolitan area. The Health System includes approximately 48,000 employees, more than 9,000 physicians, and 8,600 nurses across seven hospitals, more than 400 outpatient practices, over 600 research and clinical laboratories, a school of nursing, and schools of medicine and graduate school of biomedical sciences.
As a leading learning health system, Mount Sinai combines clinical expertise with scientific discovery to improve patient care while training the next generation of health care and biomedical leaders. The Health System provides care across every stage of life, from prenatal care through geriatrics, while advancing personalized medicine through artificial intelligence, data science, and biomedical research.
Mount Sinai is consistently recognized among the nation’s leading academic health systems for patient care, research, and education. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked No. 1 in New York and recognized as one of the world’s top Smart Hospital by Newsweek. The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai ranks No. 11 among U.S. medical schools for National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding and No. 1 among freestanding medical schools, reflecting the strength of its scientific enterprise and leadership in biomedical research.
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