The National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), a quality program administered by the American College of Surgeons, has granted accredited status to the Georgia Cancer Center’s Breast Cancer Program. To achieve voluntary NAPBC accreditation, a breast center demonstrates compliance with the NAPBC standards that address a center’s leadership, clinical services, research, community outreach, professional education, and quality improvement for patients. Breast centers seeking NAPBC accreditation undergo a site visit every three years.

“Augusta University Health offers the most advanced cancer care in the region at the Georgia Cancer Center, where the nation’s leading breast surgeons provide a multidisciplinary approach in coordinating the best treatment options,” said AU Health CEO Katrina Keefer. “I am grateful to all of the caregivers for their commitment to quality patient care in a safe and innovative clinical environment, which is evident in this accreditation.”

Accreditation by the NAPBC is granted only to those programs that are committed to providing the best possible care to patients with breast cancer. The NAPBC provides the structure and resources develop and operate a high-quality breast center and accredited program. Patients receiving care at this NAPBC-accredited center 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

“This accreditation is very important to us at the Georgia Cancer Center because it shows our commitment to our multi-disciplinary approach focused on patient- and family-centered care. This ultimately translates into better patient outcomes,” said Dr. Jorge Cortes, director of the Georgia Cancer Center. “I am very proud of the work Dr. Alicia Vinyard did leading our NAPBC committee to make sure we were meeting and exceeding the various standards for accreditation. This is a remarkable achievement for Dr. Vinyard and the entire breast cancer team.”

As a NAPBC-accredited center, the Georgia Cancer Center is committed to maintaining levels of excellence in the delivery of comprehensive, patient-centered, multidisciplinary care resulting in high-quality care for patients with breast disease. Patients can be confident that their breast care team includes health care professionals from a variety of disciplines who are committed to working together to provide the best care available through their entire course of treatment. Patients receiving care at a NAPBC-accredited center also have access to information on clinical trials and new treatment options, genetic counseling, and patient-centered services including psychosocial support, rehabilitation services, and survivorship care.

“The Georgia Cancer Center’s approach to breast cancer care brings in medical oncologists, surgical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and other disciplines involved in diagnosing and treatment a patient’s tumor,” said Dr. Alicia Vinyard, breast surgical oncologist and director of the NAPBC Committee. “Our team looks at a patient’s cancer from multiple angles to make sure we consider all of the options before creating a treatment plan. These options include the physical, mental and emotional needs a patient will have before, during and after their cancer treatment.”