The Lutheran Comprehensive Breast Center 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 process challenges breast cancer centers to enhance the care they provide by addressing patient-centered needs and measuring quality against national standards. Lutheran is the first in the area to achieve the distinction.

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.

“Being able to offer patients as many options as possible, specifically early access to clinical trials, is what sets our oncology services apart,” said Rachael Hayes, MD, medical director, Lutheran Comprehensive Breast Center. “This is the highest level of accreditation a breast cancer program can receive. Earning validation from an independent source like the American College of Surgeons indicates we have all the pieces in place.”

Accreditation by the NAPBC is only given to those centers that have voluntarily committed to provide the highest level of quality breast care and undergone a rigorous evaluation. During the survey process, centers 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.

“Lutheran continues to focus on how the care it delivers can have the greatest impact on patients all across northeastern Indiana,” said Paula Autry, chief executive officer, Lutheran Hospital. “The way members of our medical staff and employees on our oncology team collaborated to earn this important endorsement of what they do daily serves as a blueprint for many future endeavors.”

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.

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. Its mission is pursued through standard-setting, scientific validation, and patient and professional education. Its board membership includes professionals from 20 national organizations that reflect the full spectrum of breast care.

The American Cancer Society estimates during 2018:

• About 266,120 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women.

• About 40,920 women will die from breast cancer.

In addition, hundreds of thousands of women who will deal with benign breast disease this year will require medical evaluation for treatment options.

For more information about the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers, visit its website at www.accreditedbreastcenters.org.