Arkansas Children's Hospital Receives Internationally Recognized FACT Accreditation for Bone Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy

LITTLE ROCK, AR. (May 31, 2024) – Arkansas Children's Hospital’s (ACH) nationally ranked Cancer and Blood Disorders program has earned full accreditation from the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT) for performing bone marrow transplants and cellular therapy.

This accreditation demonstrates compliance with the FACT-JACIE International Standards for Hematopoietic Cellular Therapy Product Collection, Processing and Administration and underscores ACH’s commitment to providing high-quality care for children battling cancer and blood disorders in the region. Cellular therapy, including bone marrow transplant and t-cell therapy, are only curative options for certain blood cancers, inherited disorders of blood and immune system.

FACT accreditation is a significant achievement that recognizes ACH’s capability to perform allogeneic stem cell transplants, which collect stem cells from a donor to replace a patient’s own stem cells and immune effector cell therapy, when a patient’s immune system is modified to kill cancer cells. ACH received FACT accreditation for autologous stem cell collection in March 2022.

The full accreditation recognizes the hospital's dedication to providing high-quality care and adhering to rigorous standards. By meeting the stringent requirements set forth by FACT, ACH has demonstrated its ability to deliver comprehensive and cutting-edge treatment options to pediatric patients. "FACT accreditation is a testament to Arkansas Children’s dedication to providing the best possible care for children in our region who are battling cancer, blood disorders and inherited disorders of the immune system," said Dr. Rick Barr, MD, executive vice president and chief clinical officer for Arkansas Children's. "The achievement is a credit to the tireless work of the Arkansas Children’s bone marrow transplant and cellular therapy team and leadership. They have strived to ensure families in our community navigating pediatric cancer can have the best outcomes possible just a short drive from home. Because of them, more children in this region will fulfill their highest potential.”

The accreditation process involved a thorough evaluation of ACH's Cancer and Blood Disorders program’s bone marrow transplant and cellular therapy processes, including its clinical services, research initiatives and patient outcomes. FACT assesses various aspects of a program, such as patient safety, quality management, and compliance with regulatory standards, to ensure that accredited institutions meet the highest level of care.

With this accreditation, ACH joins an elite group of healthcare institutions that have met FACT’s rigorous criteria. The recognition further solidifies ACH's position as a leading provider of specialized care for children with cancer and blood disorders in the region. ACH is also recognized as one of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Children’s Hospitals for Cancer.

ACH's Cancer and Blood Disorders program offers a multidisciplinary approach to treatment, bringing together a team of highly skilled physicians, nurses and support staff. The program provides comprehensive care for a wide range of conditions, including leukemia, lymphoma, sickle cell disease and hemophilia.

As part of its commitment to advancing pediatric cancer care, ACH actively participates in clinical trials and research collaborations. The hospital's dedication to innovation and continuous improvement ensures that patients receive the most advanced and effective treatments available.

The accreditation is valid for three years, during which ACH will continue to uphold the stringent standards set by FACT, ensuring that pediatric patients receive the highest quality of care and access to the latest advancements in cellular therapy.

ABOUT ARKANSAS CHILDREN’S

Arkansas Children's is the only healthcare system in the state solely dedicated to caring for Arkansas' more than 700,000 children. The private, non-profit organization includes two pediatric hospitals, a pediatric research institute and USDA nutrition center, a philanthropic foundation, a nursery alliance, statewide clinics, and many education and outreach programs — all focused on fulfilling a promise to define and deliver unprecedented child health. Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) is a 336-bed, Magnet-recognized facility in Little Rock operating the state’s only Level I pediatric trauma center; the state's only burn center; the state's only Level IV neonatal intensive care unit; the state's only pediatric intensive care unit; the state’s only pediatric surgery program with Level 1 verification from the American College of Surgeons (ACS); the state’s only magnetoencephalography (MEG) system for neurosurgical planning and cutting-edge research; and the state's only nationally recognized pediatric transport program. Arkansas Children’s is nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report in seven pediatric subspecialties (2023—2024): Cancer, Cardiology & Heart Surgery, Diabetes & Endocrinology, Nephrology, Orthopedics, Pulmonology & Lung Surgery and Urology. Arkansas Children’s Northwest (ACNW), the first and only pediatric hospital in the northwest Arkansas region, is a level IV pediatric trauma center. ACNW operates a 24-bed inpatient unit; a surgical unit with five operating rooms; outpatient clinics offering over 20 subspecialties; diagnostic services; imaging capabilities; occupational therapy services; and northwest Arkansas' only pediatric emergency department, equipped with 30 exam rooms. Generous philanthropic and volunteer engagement has sustained Arkansas Children's since it began as an orphanage in 1912, and today ensures the system can deliver on its promise of unprecedented child health. To learn more, visit archildrens.org.

ABOUT FACT

In December 1994, the International Society for Cell and Gene Therapy (ISCT) and the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT) merged their Standards into a single document covering all aspects of hematopoietic cell therapy (collection, processing, and transplantation). The two societies established FACT in order to develop a voluntary Inspection and Accreditation Program based on the joint Standards. FACT promotes quality medical and laboratory practice of cellular therapy through its peer-developed standards and voluntary inspection and accreditation program. In 2006, FACT, in collaboration with the Joint Accreditation Committee-ISCT & EBMT (JACIE), developed international standards in the field of cellular therapy. JACIE was founded by the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) and the International Society for Cell and Gene Therapy (ISCT), the two leading scientific organizations involved with cellular transplantation in Europe.

The FACT Inspection and Accreditation Program was developed by Dr. Phyllis Warkentin, FACT Chief Medical Officer, the FACT Directors and Officers, as well as the ISCT and ASTCT Regulatory and Standards Committees. The first edition of the FACT Standards was published in September 1996, and the first inspections began in September of 1997 with the first programs awarded accreditation in 1998.