Dr. Chad Ritch Appointed Member of American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer

Representing the Society of Urologic Oncology, Chad R. Ritch, M.D., M.B.A., urologic oncologist at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Health System, has been confirmed as a member of the Commission on Cancer (CoC).

“The Commission on Cancer is a national consortium overseen by the American College of Surgeons that incorporates more than 50 professional cancer-related specialty organizations, which come together to improve the quality of care and outcomes for patients with cancer,” said Dr. Ritch, associate professor of urology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

The Society of Urologic Oncology, the professional organization that oversees accreditation, certification and training for urologic oncologists in the U.S., nominated Dr. Ritch as their representative to the CoC. He will be the only representative from the Society for Urologic Oncology through his three-year term.

“Dr. Ritch has been selected for an extremely prestigious role. Serving as a member of the Commission on Cancer as the representative of the Society of Urologic Oncology provides him with the opportunity to participate in knowledge sharing, with the goal of setting standards to further elevate the quality of cancer care,” said Dipen J. Parekh, M.D., professor and chair of urology, director of robotic surgery, and the Victor A. Politano Endowed Chair in Urology.

There are more than 100 individual CoC members who represent the American College of Surgeons or national professional organizations. The CoC accredits more than 1,500 U.S. cancer programs, including Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The commission plays important roles in advancing U.S. cancer care. CoC along with the American Cancer Society supports the National Cancer Database, which collects more than 1.4 million cases each year, and houses 34 million historical cancer cases. Researchers use the data to explore patterns and trends in cancer care and opportunities for quality improvement.

Another highly visible CoC project is the commission’s affiliation with the American Joint Committee for Cancer, which, among other things, develops metrics and criteria for cancer staging.

Dr. Ritch, who also is associate director of UHealth International, will serve on the CoC’s Quality Committee, which oversees the National Cancer Database and quality metrics used to explore and compare quality of cancer care in the U.S. Quality metrics set benchmarks that U.S. cancer programs strive to meet and exceed. These metrics also point to centers that are not meeting quality standards for care, highlighting opportunities for improvement.

“As a member of the CoC focusing on quality metrics, I can suggest ways in which we assess and measure quality in urologic oncology, such as outcomes for prostate cancer and bladder cancer surgery,” Dr. Ritch said. “From the viewpoint of Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, I think it is very positive that we have faculty representation on the CoC, giving us a seat at the table when deliberating on the quality of cancer care.”

Dr. Ritch’s role as an author for the American Urological Association guideline on the management of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer and recognition of his published research using the National Cancer Database were instrumental in his selection as the Society of Urologic Oncology representative to the CoC.

“The Commission on Cancer relies on its members’ professional knowledge, creative thinking, and contributions to drive its initiatives,” wrote Timothy Mullett, M.D., M.B.A., FACS, chair of the Commission on Cancer, in the announcement email sent to Dr. Ritch.

Tags: American College of Surgeons, Commission on Cancer, Dr. Chad Ritch, Society of Urologic Oncology