| April 7, 2009 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
TWENTY-THREE BREAST CARE CENTERS
ARE THE FIRST TO BECOME ACCREDITED BY THE
NATIONAL ACCREDITATION PROGRAM FOR BREAST CENTERS
CHICAGO: The National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC) announced today that it has granted accreditation to 23 centers that are the first to successfully complete its rigorous evaluation and review process. NAPBC accreditation is given only to those centers that have voluntarily committed to provide the highest quality care in breast disease diagnosis and treatment, and that have demonstrated they can comply with the accreditation program standards. Information on the 23 centers and details regarding the NAPBC accreditation program are available to the public online at at http://www.accreditedbreastcenters.org/
"The NAPBC has put together an excellent comprehensive and multidisciplinary program that includes all of the leading organizations that work together to treat women with diseases of the breast. This program will ‘raise the bar’ for breast health care in the United States. We are proud to be one of the first breast centers in the United States recognized to receive NAPBC Accreditation. This recognition confirms our commitment to quality breast care for patients with diseases of the breast," according to Colette Salm-Schmid, Aurora BayCare Medical Center, Green Bay, WI.
NAPBC plans to continue to post the names of its accredited breast centers online as more centers achieve accreditation. As a result, breast patients will have easy and immediate access to the NAPBC list of accredited centers as the program expands throughout the United States.
The National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers is a consortium of national, professional organizations dedicated to the improvement of the quality of care and the monitoring of outcomes for patients with diseases of the breast. Bringing together leaders from the major medical disciplines that routinely work together to diagnose and treat breast disease, this multidisciplinary group created 27 program standards and 17 program components of care that collectively provide the most efficient and contemporary care available for patients diagnosed with diseases of the breast. NAPBC-accredited breast centers have met the criteria set forth for each discipline treating breast disease patients. When a breast center applies for NAPBC accreditation, it does so with the understanding that it will offer a multidisciplinary approach to diagnosing and treating breast disease. Moreover, the center must be willing to undergo a rigorous application process and on-site survey to assure its patients that NAPBC standards are being met. Accredited breast centers also agree to maintain their high level of clinical care with recertification by the NAPBC required every three years.
NAPBC-accredited centers offer a complete range of state-of-the-art services and equipment; a multidisciplinary team approach to coordinating the best available treatment options; information about ongoing cancer clinical trials and new treatment options; access to prevention and early detection programs, cancer education, and support services; and ongoing monitoring and improvements in cancer care.
Administered by the American College of Surgeons, NAPBC began development of its program in 2005; the formal process of surveying breast centers for accreditation started in September 2008. With a multidisciplinary membership, the NAPBC pursues its mission through standard-setting, scientific validation, and patient and professional education. For more information, visit: www.accreditedbreastcenters.org.
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News from the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers
Inaugural Breast Care Centers Accredited by
the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers
Connecticut
- Stamford Hospital's Women's Breast Center, Tully Health Center, Stamford, CT
Florida
- Mount Sinai Comprehensive Breast Center, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, FL
Illinois
- OSF Saint Francis Center for Breast Health, OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, Peoria, IL
Maryland
- Breast Health Center, Union Hospital, Elkton, MD
- The Aiello Breast Center, Baltimore Washington Medical Center, Glen Burnie, MD
Michigan
- Comprehensive Breast Care Center, Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak and Troy, MI
Missouri
- St. John’s Mercy Breast Center, St. John's Mercy Medical Center, St. Louis, MO
North Carolina
- Carolina Breast Care Center, Greenville, NC
- Breast Care Center, Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC
Ohio
- Breast Health Center, Moll Pavilion, Fairview Hospital, Cleveland, OH
Pennsylvania
- Breast Care Specialists, PC, Sacred Heart Hospital, Westfield Hospital, St. Luke’s Hospital, Allentown, PA
- Penn State Hershey Breast Center, Penn State Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA
- Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center, Geisinger Health Systems, Wilkes Barre, PA
Texas
- Texas Cancer Clinic Breast Cancer Program, San Antonio, TX
Virginia
- Center for Breast Health, Virginia Hospital Center, Arlington, VA
Washington
- Bellingham Breast Center, Bellingham, WA
Wisconsin
- Comprehensive Breast Center, Aurora BayCare Medical Center, Green Bay, WI
- Franciscan Skemp Center for Breast Care, Franciscan Skemp Healthcare, La Crosse, WI
- Norma J. Vinger Center for Breast Care, Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center, La Crosse, WI
- Comprehensive Breast Health Center, Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI
- Comprehensive Breast Health Center, Aurora Sinai Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI
- Comprehensive Breast Health Center, Aurora Medical Center of Oshkosh, Inc., Oshkosh, WI
- Comprehensive Breast Health Center, Aurora West Allis Medical Center, West Allis, WI
Online April 7, 2009