Comprehensive Breast Care Center Receives Accreditation From American College of Surgeons

Comprehensive Breast Care Center Receives Accreditation From American College of Surgeons
Becomes the region’s only breast care center accredited by the ACS

Kristin Skinner, M.D.

The Comprehensive Breast Care Center (CBCC) at the James. P. Wilmot Cancer Center, and the Highland Breast Imaging Center at Red Creek have 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. Accreditation by the NAPBC is only given to those centers that undergo a rigorous evaluation process and review of their performance and demonstrate the highest level of quality breast care. The Wilmot Cancer Center’s CBCC is one of only 12 such accredited institutions in New York State and the only one in the greater Rochester and Western New York regions.

The Comprehensive Breast Care Center is led by Kristin Skinner, M.D., associate professor of Surgery and Oncology, chief of the division of surgical oncology and director of the multidisciplinary breast cancer program.

“My goals for the breast cancer program were focused on creating a state-of-the-art, multidisciplinary breast center,” says Skinner. “The James P. Wilmot Cancer Center allows us to have all of our doctors together in a warm, caring environment for patients who are facing this disease. This accreditation is the result of the collaborative work of an extremely talented and caring multidisciplinary team.”

“We are very pleased that the quality of care provided at Wilmot Cancer Center continues to be recognized as among the best in the nation,” said Richard I. Fisher, M.D., director of the Wilmot Cancer Center and vice president of the University of Rochester Medical Center. “Providing multidisciplinary, sub-specialized care has proven to be the most effective model for the delivery of high quality cancer care. Recognition such as this and the Accreditation with Commendation that our cancer center received two years ago from the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons place us at an elite level when looking at the best cancer programs nationwide.”

The NAPBC, 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, is led by national experts representing the major disciplines that routinely work together to diagnose and treat breast disease.  This multidisciplinary group formed the NAPBC Board that mutually defined 27 program standards that collectively provide the most efficient and contemporary care available for patients diagnosed with diseases of the breast. Breast centers seeking accreditation undergo a rigorous application process and on-site survey to assure the NAPBC standards are being met and must demonstrate compliance with at least 90%, or 24, of the 27 established standards.

National surveyors who spent time on site examining the CBCC’s protocols and quality of care, remarked that the center met or exceeded all 27 standards “with ease.”  Surveyors also commented that “the Comprehensive Breast Care Center at the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center is an amazing center and an asset to its community.”

Advantages of Accredited Care for Patients

According to American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates, more than 200,000 women were expected to be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in the United States in 2010. 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
– Quality breast care close to home.

This is the second national honor for the Comprehensive Breast Care Center in just five months.In October, the CBCC was named a Center of Excellence for Breast Imaging, the pinnacle of recognition from the American College of Radiology.

The CBCC is dedicated to diagnosing and treating people with breast problems. This model is unique in upstate New York and allows someone who has a breast concern to consult with experts in the diagnosis and treatment of breast disease, receive a mammogram or more specialized imaging and a biopsy, as needed. The imaging studies are read by an expert in breast imaging, and biopsies are evaluated by pathologists who specialize in breast pathology, allowing the most accurate diagnosis. 

All members of the breast care team — physicians and technologists specializing in breast imaging, breast pathology, breast surgery and reconstruction, medical and radiation therapy, and cancer genetics, as well as nurses, social workers, physical and occupational therapists and clinical trials specialists — are on site to help patients develop an individualized care plan if treatment is needed.

For more information about the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers, visit their Web site at www.accreditedbreastcenters.org 

*  The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Rochester Medical Center