Local Breast Center Receives Two Coveted National Accreditations
Youngstown, Ohio (PRWEB) July 16, 2013 -- The Joanie Abdu Comprehensive Breast Care Center (JACBCC) at St. Elizabeth Health Center (SEHC) in Youngstown was recently granted accreditation from two national organizations, recognizing the center’s excellence as a breast care center and confirming it as a center of excellence for breast imaging.
The JACBCC has 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. The center has also been designated a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiology (ACR).
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. 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 JACBCC demonstrated compliance with standards established by the NAPBC for treating women who are diagnosed with the full spectrum of breast disease,” said Juliane Dulay, manager of the JACBCC. “We are proud to have proved our proficiency in the areas of: center leadership, clinical management, research, community outreach, professional education and quality improvement.”
Only 23 breast care centers in Ohio are accredited by the NAPBC.
“We serve patients from all over northeast Ohio,” said Dulay. “Our center is the only one certified by the NAPBCC and designated as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence in Ashtabula, Trumbull, Mahoning, Columbiana and Portage counties.”
By awarding facilities the status of a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence, the ACR recognizes breast imaging centers that have earned accreditation in mammography, stereotactic breast biopsy, and breast ultrasound (including ultrasound-guided breast biopsy).
Peer-review evaluations, conducted in each breast imaging modality by board-certified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in the field, have determined that this facility has achieved high practice standards in image quality, personnel qualifications, facility equipment, quality control procedures, and quality assurance programs.
The JACBCC opened Nov. 1, 2011 as a breast screening and diagnostic center, offering innovative technology, a calm healing environment and an interdisciplinary approach to diagnosing breast disease. 3-D digital mammography and molecular breast imaging were some of the new breast specific technologies brought to the center. In 2012, the center performed 7,230 exams and served 5,870 patients.
Continuity of care is an important aspect of a comprehensive breast care center. In March 2012, SEHC’s Surgical Breast Clinic became part of the JACBCC. Then, in October 2012, a medical oncology clinic was established. Instead of going to the Ambulatory Care Clinic for pre- and postoperative care, patients now receive diagnostic imaging, blood draws, and surgical and medical oncology consultations at the JACBCC.
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 20 national organizations that reflect the full spectrum of breast care.
The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimated that there would be 232,340 patients diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in the United States in 20131. In addition, hundreds of thousands of women will deal with benign breast disease this year and 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 website at http://www.accreditedbreastcenters.org.
The ACR is a national professional organization serving more than 36,000 diagnostic/interventional radiologists, radiation oncologists, nuclear medicine physicians, and medical physicists with programs focusing on the practice of medical imaging and radiation oncology and the delivery of comprehensive health care services.
About Humility of Mary Health Partners
Humility of Mary Health Partners is an integrated health system located in the Youngstown/Warren area. It is a market of Catholic Health Partners (CHP) in Cincinnati, the largest health system in Ohio and one of the largest Catholic health systems in the United States. HMHP provides a full spectrum of health care services, including inpatient, outpatient, emergency, urgent care, home care and long-term care. Members are St. Elizabeth Health Center, St. Joseph Health Center, St. Elizabeth Boardman Health Center, HM Home Health Services, The Assumption Village, Humility House, Hospice of the Valley and Laurel Lake. HMHP hospitals were recognized with the top hospitals in Northeast Ohio by U.S. News & World Report, with St. Elizabeth Health Center ranked nationally in gynecology. Learn more about HMHP online at http://www.HMpartners.org.
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1. American Cancer Society Cancer Facts & Figures 2013. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2013.
Sally Hammel, Humility of Mary Health Partners, http://hmpartners.org, 330-480-2106, [email protected]
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