Clínica Ruiz / Centro de Hematología y Medicina Interna Becomes the First Program Accredited Through the FACT-JACIE Accreditation Program
Barcelona, Spain – 17 August 2026 – The Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT) and the Joint Assurance Committee of ISCT-and EBMT (JACIE) are pleased to announce that Clínica Ruiz / Centro de Hematología y Medicina Interna in Puebla, Mexico, has become the first program accredited through the FACT-JACIE Accreditation Program of transplant centers in Latin America.
This achievement marks an important milestone in international cellular therapy accreditation and reflects the program’s demonstrated commitment to quality, safety, and continuous improvement in hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) and cellular therapy.
The FACT-JACIE Accreditation Program supports centers seeking accreditation through a joint review process based on internationally recognized standards. Accreditation through this program confirms that a center has met rigorous requirements designed to promote quality patient care, protect donors and recipients, and support consistent practices across clinical, collection, and processing services.
Guillermo J. Ruiz-Argüelles, MD, FRCP(Glasg), MACP, DSc(hc), FRCP(Lon), Director of Clínica Ruiz de Puebla, where the Centro de Hematología y Medicina Interna is located and hosts the HSCT-México program, said the achievement recognizes more than three decades of HCT experience conducted in unique circumstances, including in a middle-income country, within a private practice institution and non-government organization, and through a primarily outpatient transplantation program.
“This accreditation recognizes 33 years of experience in HCT conducted in special circumstances,” said Dr. Ruiz-Argüelles. “Despite these differences and facing the occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic during the certification process, our program was found to meet international standards aimed to both protect patients and guarantee clinical excellence in the practice of HCT.”
Dr. Ruiz-Argüelles also recognized the many individuals who contributed to the achievement, including physicians, nurses, transplant coordinators, residents, clinical pathologists, laboratory technicians, pharmacists, nutritionists, blood bank staff, social workers, data managers, administrative staff, and others. “We are certain that this accreditation will result in better care of patients who place their trust in us,” he said.
Charles Crawley, MD, FRCP, FRCPath, JACIE Working Party Chair, said: “We are pleased to see the FACT-JACIE framework helping centers translate international standards into practical quality improvements for patients, donors, and teams.”
Phyllis I. Warkentin, MD, FASTCT, FACT Chief Medical Officer, noted that being the first in Latin America to achieve FACT-JACIE Accreditation is a major accomplishment.
“FACT commends Dr. Ruiz-Argüelles for his leadership and this remarkable team at Clínica Ruiz / Centro de Hematología y Medicina Interna for their dedication and perseverance to reach this milestone in their journey of continuous improvement in providing quality care to the patients they serve.” Said Dr. Warkentin. “They have shown resilience and a strong commitment to quality principles in meeting rigorous international standards.”
FACT and JACIE congratulate Clínica Ruiz / Centro de Hematología y Medicina Interna on this historic achievement and commend the program’s leadership and staff for their dedication to advancing quality cellular therapy practices.
About FACT
The Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT) advances quality and safety in cellular therapy by setting internationally recognized standards and fostering excellence through accreditation and education. By partnering with healthcare organizations and experts worldwide, FACT builds trust in emerging therapies, strengthens quality systems, expands patient access to life-changing cellular therapies, and improves outcomes for patients. FACT is a non-profit corporation co-founded in 1996 by the International Society for Cell and Gene Therapy (ISCT) and the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT) for the voluntary inspection and accreditation in the field of cellular therapy.
The number of FACT accredited programs continues to grow around the world. There are 342 accredited programs across 28 countries. These programs are served by a volunteer inspectorate of 249 cellular therapy experts. Learn more at factglobal.org .
Media Contact
Breann Weishaar
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Breann.weishaar@factglobal.org
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About JACIE
JACIE is Europe’s only official certification body in the field of haematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) and cellular therapy (CT). It promotes high-quality patient care and medical and laboratory practice through a profession-led, voluntary certification scheme.
Mélanie Chaboissier
Communications Coordinator