TUPELO, Mississippi—The National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), a quality program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS), has granted three-year accreditation once again to North Mississippi Medical Center's breast care program.

To achieve voluntary NAPBC accreditation, a breast center demonstrates compliance with 28 NAPBC standards that look at a center’s leadership, clinical services, research, community outreach, professional education and quality improvement. Breast centers seeking NAPBC accreditation undergo a site visit every three years.

As one of only two NAPBC-accredited centers in the state, NMMC 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 receiving care at an NAPBC-accredited center have access to information on clinical trials and new treatments, genetic counseling and patient-centered services including psycho-social support, and a survivorship care plan that documents the care each patient receives and seeks to improve cancer survivor’s quality of life.

"It goes without saying that I am extremely proud of our staff and all of the hard work that goes into achieving the highest level of breast care available," said Dr. Danny Sanders, breast program director and general surgeon, NMMC Breast and General Surgery Clinic. "The buy in by medical and radiation oncology as well as the breast radiologists are key to a successful program. It is a privilege working with such dedicated individuals to keep NMMC the best breast center in the region."

Receiving care at this NAPBC-accredited center ensures that patients 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

For more information on the NMMC breast care program, visit www.nmhs.net/breast-care.

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. For information on the NAPBC, visit www.facs.org/napbc.