October 6, 2010
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The National Association For Continence (NAFC) has named the University of Alabama at Birmingham's Continence and Urogynecology Care Clinics its first Center of Excellence: Continence Care.
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 a reliable, trustworthy means of finding an experienced and credentialed expert. The center of excellence designation is based on evidence of extensive training, clinical experience, resources and patient satisfaction statistics that meet established standards.
"It was a unanimous decision by everyone on the committee," to select UAB's Continence and Urogynecology Care Clinics as the inaugural center of excellence, said G. Willy Davila, M.D., chair of the NAFC Center of Excellence Review 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."
UAB physicians Drs. Holly Richter, Robert Holley, Alayne Markland, Patricia Goode and R. Edward Varner are recognized as the healthcare providers for UAB's NAFC Center of Excellence designation. Drs. Jerrod Greer and Kathryn Burgio and nurse practitioners Jeannine McCormick and Lisa Pair, along with others, are part of the care team at these clinics.
"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," said William Andrews, Ph.D., M.D., 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, M.D., professor and director of UAB Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics and Palliative Care.
About NAFC
The National Association For Continence is a 501(c)3 corporation whose mission is threefold: 1) to educate the public about the causes, diagnosis categories, treatment options and management alternatives for incontinence, voiding dysfunction, nocturnal enuresis and related pelvic floor disorders; 2) to network with other organizations and agencies to elevate the visibility and priority given to these areas; and 3) to advocate on behalf of consumers who suffer from such symptoms as a result of disease or other illness, obstetrical, surgical or other trauma, or deterioration due to the aging process itself. NAFC is broadly funded by consumers, healthcare professionals and industry. It is the world's largest and most prolific consumer advocacy organization devoted exclusively to this field.
About the UAB Continence and Urogynecology Care Clinics
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 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 medication are also offered.
The UAB Urogynecology Care Clinic 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 are researched and developed at UAB.