Metropolitan Methodist Hospital Breast Center, a department of Methodist Hospital in San Antonio, has been granted a full accreditation (three year) designation by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), a program administered by the American College of Surgeons. Setting the standard for the interdisciplinary management of patients with breast disease, the center is the first hospital-based, NAPBC-accredited breast center in San Antonio.
The center is led by Deborah Douglas, M.D., herself a breast cancer survivor, and Lorraine Infantino, BSN, MSN, RN, the only National Consortium of Breast Centers certified breast patient navigator in San Antonio. It is a concierge center for health care services for women with breast cancer, offering free of charge education, support and guidance to patients during all phases of their journey—diagnosis, treatment and survivorship.
Debbie Williams, 60, of San Antonio helps operate a NASCAR race track in San Marcos. Her grandchildren call her “race car grandma.” She was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2011.
“There are tons of decisions on what you need to do to treat your cancer,” said Williams. “There was so much information I did not know that I needed to know to make these important decisions. I needed a guide…someone to take me through the process. With the help of my doctors and the Metropolitan Methodist Breast Center, I know that I did everything I could to become a survivor.”
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, 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. 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. 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.
The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimated that there would be 192,370 patients diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in the United States in 20091. In addition, hundreds of thousands of women who will deal with benign breast disease this year 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.
For more information about the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers, visit their Web site at www.accreditedbreastcenters.org. For more information on the Metropolitan Methodist Hospital Breast Centers phone 210-757-2638 or visit SAHealth.com.
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1. American Cancer Society Cancer Facts & Figures 2009. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2009.