MeritCare has just been granted a three year, full accreditation by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC). Administered by the American College of Surgeons, this program is incredibly competitive. As one of the first 51 hospitals to achieve this status, a mere five percent in the nation, MeritCare is the only hospital in North or South Dakota to have earned this accreditation and is one of only two in Minnesota.
To obtain accreditation, MeritCare had to voluntarily commit to proving it provides the highest level of quality breast care. Luckily that was an easy process. "The majority of the things we had to demonstrate to get accredited we were already doing," notes Dr. Michael Bouton, a board-certified general surgeon with a focus on breast disease and surgery.
Necessary Qualifications
Only centers that demonstrate a firm commitment to offer patients every advantage possible in their battle against cancer can receive accreditation. Proficiency in center leadership, clinical management, research, community outreach, professional education and quality improvement were evaluated and critical to MeritCare's successful application for accreditation.
Dr. Bouton continues, "We looked at ourselves from a quality standpoint. In all these different areas, are we doing the things that are expected to be done based on breast cancer care, and are we doing them the best way we can? Are we serving our community? We felt that the answers to all those were yes."
Benefit of a Multi-disciplinary Team
To achieve accreditation, the NABPC requires the establishment of a breast cancer specific tumor conference where physicians from each specialty service meet and review breast cancer cases and discuss the best options for treatment.
When the breast services group meets, new patient cases are laid out and discussed in a collaborative manner. One doctor may have recently read about a new study that pertains to the specific case, and the research findings are discussed. Perhaps a pathologist has a recommendation based on the mammogram images. One doctor may have diagnosed a cancer similar to this one and be able to talk about the treatment that was done. Ideas are tossed out and questions begin to get answered. Doctors share their own knowledge and understanding of individual cases and a variety of other issues regarding breast cancer.
Dr. Carol Grimm, who specializes in breast cancer detection and risk assessment, says "We have been discussing interdisciplinary cancer topics for many, many years. I think breast services might be ahead of the game in terms of being interdisciplinary. It involves a lot of people, and there's no way to do it well unless you talk to everybody along the way. It's great to have a focus where we can just talk about breast health."
Patient Benefits
While this accreditation is significant to MeritCare, patients will ultimately benefit from the overall value it brings. "This is something we did to show current and future patients that we want to make sure we are providing them the best care they can get," says Dr. Bouton.
Once diagnosed, patients immediately meet with a team of doctors and staff to evaluate the best method of treatment. They are assigned a case manager who will help them navigate the care system. MeritCare breast patients have access to state-of-the-art services and equipment and will be the first to hear about ongoing clinical trials and new treatment options. This accreditation also means that there will be more support for prevention and early detection programs, as well as education and support for breast patients.
Ultimately, patients have access to incredible quality breast care close to home at MeritCare. Dr. Bouton notes, "When patients come to us, they are scared, sometimes new to the system and they might not know the doctors. They want to know if they are getting the best care they can. By getting this accreditation, we are telling current and future patients that we are being evaluated by a national organization dedicated to ensuring the highest level of breast cancer care… By doing this we are giving you the best cancer care we can."
Dr. Jay Goldenberg, a radiologist, concludes, "The accreditation should give patients quite a bit of reassurance. When they get that first diagnosis, there's lots of anxiety. They may initially want to look elsewhere and with the accreditation they can rest easier."