RMH Women’s Center breast care program receives three-year national accreditation

The RMH Women’s Center’s breast care program has been granted a three-year full accreditation designation by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers, a program administered by the American College of Surgeons.

“This accreditation means our patients can be sure they are receiving the highest quality care, close to home, at a Certified Comprehensive Breast Center,” said Teresa Boshart Yoder, director of RMH Women’s Services. “I am delighted that our breast program has received this designation.” 

According to the NAPBC, accreditation is given only to centers that have voluntarily committed to providing the highest level of quality breast care and undergo a rigorous evaluation process and review of their performance. The NAPBC notes that 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.

During the survey process, the center must demonstrate 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.

The NAPBC notes that receiving care at a NAPBC-accredited center ensures a patient will have access to the following:

· 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.

· Quality breast care close to home.

“As a dedicated breast surgeon, I am thrilled that the superb care our patients receive is acknowledged by the NAPBC accreditation,” said Heidi Rafferty, M.D. “Our goal is to provide compassionate, high-quality, personalized care to every patient affected by breast disease.

Construction will begin this spring on the new RMH Funkhouser Women’s Center, which will allow growth and expansion of breast care services, including breast imaging. Situated on the new RMH health campus, the center also will house bone density and heart health services and the Image Recovery Center, which offers a host of appearance enhancement services to those physically affected by disease, illness, or injury.

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.