First Community Hospital in State to Receive National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers Designation

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Baptist Health Lexington has been granted a three-year, full accreditation by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers, a program administered by the American College of Surgeons. Baptist Health Lexington is the first community hospital in Kentucky to achieve this distinctive designation.

Accreditation by the NAPBC is given only to those centers that have voluntarily committed to provide the highest level of quality breast care and that undergo a rigorous evaluation process and review of their performance.

“We are pleased to achieve NAPBC accreditation because it signifies Baptist Health Lexington’s firm commitment to offering our patients every significant advantage in their battle against breast cancer and benign breast disease,” said Kay Ross, RN, MSN, AOCN, Vice President of Oncology and Clinical Support Services.

During the survey process, the center must demonstrate compliance with NAPBC standards for treating women who are diagnosed with the full spectrum of malignant and benign breast disease. The standards include proficiency in the areas of center leadership, clinical management, research, community outreach, professional education and quality improvement.

Receiving care at an NAPBC-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, and
• Quality breast care close to home

Baptist Health Lexington is also accredited “with commendation,” the highest accreditation granted by the American College of Surgeon’s Commission on Cancer. The hospital is also a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence designated by the American College of Radiology.

In late summer of 2010, Baptist Health Lexington began construction of a campus regeneration project that will include a state-of-the-art cancer center. The new facility, which will have its own customer-friendly exterior access, will include radiation therapy, a patient-centered chemotherapy/ infusion center, an expanded multidisciplinary oncology clinic and CyberKnife.

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 15 national organizations that reflect the full spectrum of breast care.