The Maimonides Breast Cancer Center has been granted a three-year-full accreditation designation, with a score of 100 percent by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers, a program administered by the American College of Surgeons.
The Breast Cancer Center demonstrated perfect compliance, passing 27 out of 27 of the program’s standards, including proficiency in the areas of clinical management, research, community outreach, professional education, quality improvement and center leadership.
Accreditation is only given to those centers that have voluntarily committed to provide the highest level of quality breast care, and undergo a rigorous evaluation process and review of their performance. In the United States, there are more than 6,500 programs that care for patients with breast disease. Of these, 547 are accredited, which means only eight percent of hospitals in the nation have achieved this prestigious designation. In New York State, there are only 31 centers with this prestigious designation, six in the city — only one of which is in Brooklyn: Maimonides Breast Cancer Center.
“This is wonderful news for our patients,” said Dr. Patrick Borgen, chair of the Department of Surgery and director of the Maimonides Breast Cancer Center. “The NAPBC accreditation affirms in the most essential way that we are delivering the finest care possible to each and every patient in Brooklyn.”
The American Cancer Society estimates that approximately 232,340 cases of invasive breast cancer occur annually in the US. In addition, hundreds of thousands of women will deal with benign breast disease this year, and will require medical evaluation for treatment options.
According to the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers, centers that achieve accreditation have demonstrated a firm commitment to offer patients every significant advantage in their battle against breast disease. Receiving care at an 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.
“The Maimonides Breast Cancer Center literally encompasses every known modality and delivers care at the highest possible level for our patients,” noted Dr. Borgen.
Patient care is, by definition, a team effort at Maimonides Medical Center. The Breast Cancer Center is a model of that dedication to reviewing every case from the perspective of all subspecialties. The survey process for accreditation was accomplished with the cooperation of the many components of the team, including medical oncology, radiation oncology, nursing, breast imaging, genetics, pathology, social work and surgery.
The Breast Cancer Center is the only in Brooklyn. It offers comprehensive screening, diagnostic, medical and surgical breast services across the full spectrum of breast disease, as well as nutrition and genetic counseling, and a full array of psycho-social support for patients and families. The team of doctors and nurses are deeply committed to offering patients every significant advantage in their battle against breast disease by providing them with the highest level of quality breast care.
Maimonides Breast Cancer Center [745 64th St. between Seventh and Eighth avenues in Sunset Park, (718) 765–2550, www.maimonidesmed.org/CancerCenter/BreastCancer.aspx].
