Christiana Care Health System Achieves Accreditation by FACT

WILMINGTON, Del., April 10, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Christiana Care Health System's Bone Marrow Transplant Program was recently awarded accreditation by the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT).

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FACT establishes standards for high quality medical and laboratory practice in cellular therapies and is headquartered at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. FACT is a non-profit corporation co-founded by the International Society for Cellular Therapy and the American Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation for the purposes of voluntary inspection and accreditation in the field of cellular therapy.

Christiana Care's recent accreditation specifically applies to the adult allogeneic and autologous hematopoietic progenitor cell transplantation, marrow and peripheral blood cellular therapy product collection, and cellular therapy product processing. Christiana Care's Bone Marrow Transplant Program is located at both Christiana Hospital and the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center.

There are a number of benefits to achieving FACT accreditation, including the following:

• FACT accreditation is becoming required for patient care reimbursement from many government agencies and health insurance companies.
• Patients seek FACT-accredited programs in their search for a quality patient care and treatment program.
• FACT is the only accrediting agency that addresses all quality aspects of cord blood collection, processing, testing, banking, selection and release.
• FACT educates and helps cord blood banks provide the highest quality products and services for cellular therapy health professionals and patients.

"To achieve FACT accreditation, we went through a rigorous process set forth by the transplant community," said Frank Beardell, M.D., director of Christiana Care's Bone Marrow Transplant Program. "The award signifies our patients can be assured of quality care and it underscores the high level of training, education and experience among our doctors and staff."

For more information about Christiana Care, visit www.christianacare.org/whoweare.

SOURCE Christiana Care Health System