September 29, 2010 (CHARLESTON, SC) — The National Association For Continence (NAFC) acknowledged the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s (UAB) Continence and Urogynecology Care Clinics as the first Center of Excellence (COE): Continence Care in the U.S. UAB physicians Drs. Holly Richter, Robert Holley, Alayne Markland, Patricia Goode and R. Edward Varner are recognized as the healthcare providers for this COE. Having completed his female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery fellowship, Dr. W. Jerod Greer has recently joined the group.  Dr. Kathryn Burgio, nurse practitioners Jeannine McCormick and Lisa Pair, and others are part of the care team at these clinics.

NAFC’s National Centers of Excellence: Continence Care program was established to offer consumers, seeking solutions to their bladder and bowel control problems and related pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD), a reliable, trustworthy means of finding an experienced and credentialed expert. The COE designation is based on evidence of extensive training, clinical experience, resources and patient satisfaction statistics that meet established standards. Healthcare institutions seeking to apply for this designation must first meet prequalification requirements set by NAFC and its COE Review Committee. A complete list of the requirements can be found on NAFC’s web site.

A multi-step process must be competed to becoming a COE. First, a qualified healthcare facility, together with two or more healthcare providers, completes an application. Once minimal requirements are deemed satisfied, patient satisfaction data collection is then initiated by means of a confidential survey, results of which are analyzed and discussed with all individuals who are part of the application, for interim status. Once interim status is achieved, a site visit to the facility is arranged, by a qualified NAFC staff member, and interviews of the entire team of providers and support staff are conducted. A full written report is subsequently submitted to the Review Committee to determine if COE designation can be granted or if additional data is needed. Fully approved status is valid for three years before renewal. During the early phase of the COE initiative, only female PFD is being covered. Plans for adding male incontinence as well as nurse-managed clinics are in the near future.

“This recognition is a testament to the interdisciplinary excellence for which UAB is known, and specifically to the collaboration between the divisions of Women’s Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery and Gerontology, Geriatrics and Palliative Care,” stated William Andrews, PhD, MD, professor and chairman of the UAB Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. “We are honored to be selected as the first NAFC Center of Excellence in the country and to have our efforts to ensure quality care for our patients recognized,” added Richard M. Allman MD, professor and director of the Division UAB Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics and Palliative Care.

When asked about the decision to appoint UAB’s Continence and Urogynecology Care Clinics as the inaugural COE, G. Willy Davila, MD, chair of the COE Review Committee, stated: “It was a unanimous decision by everyone on the committee. Not only do these clinics have a great reputation, they also show great care to their patients, as made evident from the answers given on the patient satisfaction survey.”

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Continence and Urogynecology Care clinics are part of the UAB Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics and Palliative Care in the UAB Department of Medicine and the Division of Women’s Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery in the UAB Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The UAB Continence Clinic (www.uabmedicine.org/continence) provides multidisciplinary evaluation and non-surgical treatments for men and women with urinary and fecal incontinence. Behavioral therapy, including pelvic floor muscle training and exercise, bladder and bowel control skill training, and/or dietary, fiber, and fluid management, is the foundation of most treatment plans. Biofeedback, electrical stimulation, support devices and medications also are offered. The UAB Urogynecology Care Clinic (www.uabmedicine.org/urogynecology) provides professional and sensitive evaluation and care for women with urinary and bowel incontinence as well as pelvic organ prolapse and other pelvic floor disorders. A variety of highly effective, surgical and non-surgical approaches to incontinence and prolapse are available, including medications, support devices, sacral neuromodulation, and surgery, -- including the latest laparoscopic, robotic and other minimally invasive techniques. In addition to clinical care, UAB conducts research to improve care for patients with incontinence and related disorders. At the UAB Continence and Urogynecology Care Clinics, men and women will find revolutionary new options available, many of which were researched and developed at UAB.

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