The McLeod Breast Health Center has been granted a three-year/Full accreditation designation by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), a program administered by the American College of Surgeons. McLeod is the only Breast Health Center in this region of the state to receive this prestigious acknowledgement of the quality of care it offers to breast cancer patients.

Accreditation by the NAPBC is only given to those centers that have voluntarily committed to provide the highest level of quality breast care and that undergo a rigorous evaluation process and review of their performance.

During the survey process in April, the McLeod Breast Health Center demonstrated compliance with standards established by the NAPBC for treating women who are diagnosed with the full spectrum of breast disease. The standards include proficiency in the areas of: center leadership, clinical management, research, community outreach, professional education, and quality improvement. A breast center that achieves NAPBC accreditation has demonstrated a firm commitment to offer its patients every significant advantage in their battle against breast disease.

"This accreditation demonstrates that we are providing the highest level of care available to women in our region facing breast cancer and breast health issues. One of our areas of emphasis is to educate and raise awareness of breast cancer so that we can detect cancer as early as possible. It is also important for women diagnosed with breast cancer to educate themselves so that they are empowered to make the right medical decisions with their physician for their individual situation. What is the right decision for one woman is not necessarily the best decision for another woman," explained Dr. Joseph Pearson, Breast Program Leadership Chair for the McLeod Breast Health Center and McLeod’s Cancer Liaison Physician to the American College of Surgeons.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimated that there would be 192,370 patients diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in the United States in 2009. At McLeod, 251 individuals were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009. Breast cancer also continues to be the leading cancer site diagnosed at McLeod each year.

In addition to treating women diagnosed with breast cancer, breast health centers such as McLeod will see hundreds of women each year experiencing benign breast disease who will require medical evaluation for treatment options.
Receiving care at a NAPBC-accredited center ensures that a patient will have access to:

• Comprehensive care, including a full range of state-of-the-art services
• A multidisciplinary team approach to coordinate the best treatment options
• Information about ongoing clinical trials and new treatment options
• And, most importantly,
• Quality breast care close to home.

The NAPBC is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to the improvement of the quality of care and monitoring of outcomes of patients with diseases of the breast. This mission is pursued through standard-setting, scientific validation, and patient and professional education. Its board membership includes professionals from 15 national organizations that reflect the full spectrum of breast care.

For more information about the McLeod Breast Health Center, contact Nurse Navigator Maureen Byrd at 777-5418.