Benefits of Visiting an Accredited Center
The National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC) is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization that has been established to identify and recognize breast centers providing quality care in the United States. The NAPBC is a consortium of national, professional organizations dedicated to the improvement of the quality of care and outcomes of women with diseases of the breast.
The standards have been established by a consortium of multidisciplinary organizations that comprise the NAPBC. Breast centers that have been accredited through the NAPBC have been evaluated by a governing, multidisciplinary board as meeting or exceeding the necessary requirements of quality breast care.
To earn accreditation, a breast center must meet or exceed quality standards established by the NAPBC, be evaluated every three years, and maintain high levels of excellence. Accreditation provides an assurance of quality care to patients, physicians looking to distinguish themselves as breast experts, and payers of care. NAPBC accreditation is voluntary.
The NAPBC recognizes that providers of quality breast care practice medicine in many different environments. The NAPBC has incorporated all practice environments by including both provided services (services provided in same geographic location) and referred services (services provided by professionals outside of the geographic location that has a track-record of providing excellent care and meeting the criteria set by the NAPBC).
NAPBC accredited centers provide and/or have referred services to:
- Board-certified breast surgeons
- Board-certified breast radiologists
- Certified radiology equipment
- Certified breast diagnostic radiographers (technicians)
- Board-certified breast pathologists
- Board-certified medical oncologists
- Board-certified radiation oncologists
- Board-certified plastic reconstructive surgical services
- Patient navigators
- Board-certified genetic counselors
- Board-certified psychosocial support professionals
- Interdisciplinary breast conferences
- Patient education and support
- Data management
- Quality improvement programs
- Palliative care
- Research
- Survivorship programs
- High-risk clinics
NAPBC accredited centers provide patients with the following:
- Comprehensive care including a complete range of state-of-the-art services and equipment
- A multidisciplinary team-approach to coordinate 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
- Ongoing monitoring and improvements in cancer care
Other sources for information on breast care include:
American Cancer Society |
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| Breast Cancer Network of Strength | http://www.networkofstrength.org |
| Cancer 101 – Basics for the Diagnosed | http://www.Cancer101.org |
| Cancer Care | http://www.cancercare.org/ |
| Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Foundation | http://www.ibcresearch.org/ |
| Living Beyond Breast Cancer | http://lbbc.org/ |
| National Breast Cancer Coalition | http://www.stopbreastcancer.org/ |
| National Lymphedema Network | http://www.lymphnet.org/ |
| Susan G. Komen Foundation | http://www.komen.org |
| Young Survival Coalition | http://www.youngsurvival.org/ |
Revised August 30, 2010