Show #484 Airing Sunday 7/14/09
We give a great deal of credit to those who are fighting breast cancer – and the medical professionals who join them. But did you know that giving credit is one thing – and giving accreditation is another? Dr. Debra Pratt is here to tell us why going to an accredited breast center is the best choice. Dr. Pratt is the Director of the Breast Health Center at Fairview Hospital.
Question: What does it mean to be an "accredited" breast center?
Answer: It means you have met 27 standards that, ultimately, create superior care for patients.
The accreditation was established because there was such a variance of programs and care for those places with the title of “Breast Center.”
These standards identify centers with standardized care that is exceptional.
Fairview is the first in the state of Ohio to have achieved this accreditation.
We were also in the first set of 23 hospitals in the country to be accredited.
Question: Give us some examples of the question you have to meet.
Answer: The areas evaluated range from conducting a leadership program to clinical management - where charts are reviewed for consistency and clarity - to interdisciplinary standards, meaning all of those involved in the care for the patient – the oncologist, the surgeon – are talking to one another.
Question: You also have something called "Nurse Navigators". What do they do?
Answer: Patient navigators – or what we at Fairview call “nurse navigators” – are another important standard that must be met to become accredited.
These are nurses who are with the patient through the entire process.
Our program actually has this begin when a patient’s mammogram has been identified as abnormal – which is even earlier than other programs who begin with a diagnosis of cancer.
The nurse navigators help the patient set up an appointment with a surgeon for a biopsy.
Then, if the diagnosis is cancer, the nurse navigators are with the patient, throughout treatment, making sure they understand each step of the process – and to make sure all involved are on the same page.
Question: How is diagnosis handled in an accredited breast center?
Answer: One standard considered during accreditation is breast conservation. Across the nation, barely 50% of women are receiving minimally invasive biopsies. At Fairview, 87%-90% of our biopsies are minimally invasive. This approach saves the patient a trip to the operating room.
Question: And beyond treatment?
Answer:There are educational resources provided not only for the patient but for staff, nurses and physicians. There is a wellness program which is open to all of our cancer patients. And there is a detailed quality program to look at all aspects of our program to ensure we are continuing to provide the best care possible.
Giving credit – or should I say accreditation – where credit is due! To find out more, contact Fairview Hospital. The information is next. My thanks to Dr. Pratt.
