Contact:
Scott Orstad
(203) 276-5933
sorstad@stamhealth.org
Stamford, CT – March 23, 2009 – Stamford Hospital is pleased to announce its Women’s Breast Center is the first center in the nation to be recognized as a National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC)-Accredited Center.
Accredited breast centers have met the criteria set forth and incorporated into this program by each component (imaging, pathology, medical and radiation oncology, genetic testing, nursing and surgical care), treating patients with diseases of the breast. Each center applying for NAPBC Accreditation understands the benefits of a multidisciplinary approach to diagnosing and treating breast disease and has undergone a rigorous application process and on-site survey to assure the NAPBC standards are being met. These centers voluntarily enter into an agreement to maintain their high level of clinical care with re-certification required every three years.
NAPBC- accredited centers demonstrate the following services: a multidisciplinary, team approach to coordinate the best care and treatment options available; access to breast cancer-related information, education, and support; breast cancer data collection on quality indicators for all subspecialties involved in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment; ongoing monitoring and improvement of care; and information about clinical trials and new treatment options.
“We are thrilled that the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers approved Stamford Hospital’s Women’s Breast Center as a nationally accredited center,” said Dr. Donna-Marie Manasseh, breast surgeon and co-director of the Women’s Breast Center. “Our team approach for caring for breast disease makes the process as seamless as possible for our patients.”
The National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers is a program administered by the American College of Surgeons who created this new designation after a proposal was brought to the Board of Regents of the American College of Surgeons identifying the need for the development of a program to identify and recognize breast centers in the United States.
“The treatment and care for breast disease has become specialized and focused with specific centers dedicated to its treatment. That made it a natural fit for the American College of Surgeons to develop this new designation,” said David Winchester, MD, FACS, Medical Director, Cancer Programs for the American College of Surgeons. “We applaud Stamford Hospital’s Women’s Breast Center for passing the rigorous review process to be the first NAPBC Accredited breast center in the nation.”
To learn more about Stamford Hospital’s Women’s Breast Center, log onto the hospital’s website at www.stamfordhospital.org.
Stamford Hospital
Stamford Hospital is a not-for-profit provider of comprehensive healthcare services in lower Fairfield County. The mission of Stamford Hospital is to provide, together with its physicians, a broad range of high quality health and wellness services focused on the needs of our communities. Stamford Hospital is a Magnet Hospital, and a member of the Planetree Alliance, a group of hospitals nationwide focused on patient-centered care. Stamford Hospital is affiliated with NewYork Presbyterian Health System and is a major teaching affiliate of the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
