Everyone can agree on what breast cancer is. But, until now, no one could agree on what a Breast Center is. Over the past 20 years, almost any healthcare organization could stake a claim for having a "breast center", which meant…. what? Perhaps it offered only imaging. Or surgery. Maybe both. The center may have been owned by a hospital. Or a physician. Offered comprehensive support programs. Or none at all. No breast center was alike; no standards in place. Good news: that's changed. Even better for you: the first nationally accredited breast center in Virginia is at Virginia Hospital Center.

The National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), a Program of the American College of Surgeons is dedicated to improving the quality of care for patients with breast cancer and other diseases of the breast. It defines 27 breast program standards and 17 care components—from medical oncology consultation/treatment and surgical care to research, a survivorship program and much more—that collectively provide the most coordinated, comprehensive care for patients diagnosed with diseases of the breast. The NAPBC application and on-site survey process is rigorous, and NAPBC-accredited centers like Virginia Hospital Center must be recertified every three years.