Holy Cross Hospital Breast Center Awarded Three-Year National Accreditation

(Silver Spring, Maryland) - The American College of Surgeons National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC) has awarded the Holy Cross Hospital Breast Center full accreditation for excellence in breast care. Holy Cross Hospital is the first hospital in suburban Maryland (Montgomery and Prince George's counties) and one of only eleven hospitals in the state to receive this prestigious accreditation.

The NAPBC is a part of the American College of Surgeons. It began accrediting breast centers in 2008 and currently has over 325 accredited centers within 38 states including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. The National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers accreditation is only granted to centers able to demonstrate that they are compliant with the 17 components of care and 27 standards required by the NAPBC; additionally, they must provide quality of care to patients diagnosed with breast disease using a multidisciplinary team approach.

Kerry Snyder Husted, RT, RTT, MBA, director of Cancer Institute, is particularly proud that the goal of NAPBC Accreditation was accomplished in such a short amount of time.

"In just two years, The Breast Center at Holy Cross Hospital has developed into a full-service program with features that rival some of the most sophisticated offerings in the area. As a result, the program earned the official 'seal of approval' from the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC). The fact that the program has come so far so quickly is attributed to the dedication, determination and devotion of its leadership."

The Holy Cross Hospital Breast Center offers women a full range of advanced breast care through highly trained specialists and state-of-the art technology.

Eric Oristian, MD, medical director of the Breast Center feels that the recognition the program has received is a reflection of the commitment to treat patients diagnosed with breast cancer in a multidisciplinary fashion. "The Breast Center at Holy Cross Hospital is the first and only breast center in Montgomery County to make this commitment to patient care and has been granted full three year NAPBC accreditation fulfilling all 27 NAPBC standards."

Pablo Gutman, MD, chair of Cancer Committee at Holy Cross Hospital believes that the NAPBC accreditation is evidence of the highest level of commitment made by Holy Cross Hospital and its physician staff. "As chair of the Cancer Committee, I think that this achievement is evidence of our commitment to bringing the best in breast cancer care to our community."

His sentiments are echoed by Tina Evans, RN, BS, CBCN, oncology nurse navigator, who views the accreditation award as recognition of the high quality of breast health and breast cancer care that is being provided to the women in the community served by Holy Cross Hospital. "The award indicates that the highest standards of care are in place and that the hospital and participating physicians in the Breast Center are dedicated to practicing state-of-the-art, compassionate care."

For more information visit contact Kristin Feliciano, chief strategy officer, at Kristin.Feliciano@holycrosshealth.org or to make an appointment call 855-HCH-HOPE (424-4673).

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Holy Cross Hospital is one of the largest hospitals in the state of Maryland with more than 30,000 annual admissions. Holy Cross Hospital is a faith-based, mission-driven teaching hospital serving the residents of Montgomery and Prince George's Counties. The hospital is a member of Trinity Health of Novi, Michigan, one of the nation's largest Catholic healthcare systems.

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