UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s Hospital Cancer Services is proud to offer nationally recognized breast cancer screening and care to patients in Eastern Iowa. This includes St. Luke’s Breast and Bone Health being designated as a Comprehensive Breast Imaging Center of Excellence (CBIC) by the American College of Radiology, and its cancer services through the Nassif Community Cancer Center and Nassif Radiation Center being accredited by the Commission on Cancer (CoC). Additionally, it is the only facility in Cedar Rapids to be accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC) by the American College of Surgeons.
About the CBIC:
By awarding facilities this status, ACR recognizes breast imaging centers that have earned accreditation in mammography, stereotactic breast biopsy, and breast ultrasound (including ultrasound-guided breast biopsy).
Peer-review evaluations, conducted in each breast imaging modality by board-certified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in the field, have determined that St. Luke’s has achieved high practice standards in image quality, personnel qualifications, facility equipment, quality control procedures and quality assurance programs.
About the CoC:
Established in 1922 by the American College of Surgeons, the Commission on Cancer is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival and quality of life for cancer patients through standard-setting, prevention, research, education, and the monitoring of comprehensive quality care. Its membership includes fellows of the American College of Surgeons and representatives of 47 national organizations that reflect the full spectrum of cancer care.
The CoC’s core functions include setting standards for quality, multidisciplinary cancer patient care; surveying facilities to evaluate compliance with the 36 CoC standards; collecting standardized, high-quality data from accredited facilities; and using data to develop effective educational interventions to improve cancer care outcomes at the national state and local levels.
There are currently more than 1,500 CoC-accredited cancer programs in the United States and these facilities treat 71 percent of newly diagnosed cancer patients each year. Receiving care at a CoC-accredited cancer program ensures that a patient will have access to the full quality spectrum of comprehensive cancer care close to home.
About the NAPBC:
The NAPBC is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to the improvement of the quality of care and monitoring outcomes of patients with diseases of the breast. The mission is pursued through standard setting, scientific validation and patient and professional education. It’s board membership includes professionals from 20 national organizations that reflect the full spectrum of breast care.
During the survey process, the center must demonstrate compliance with standards established by the NAPBC for treating women who are diagnosed with the full spectrum of breast disease. The standards include proficiency in center leadership, clinical management, research, community outreach, professional education and quality improvement. A breast center that achieves NAPBC accreditation has demonstrated a firm commitment to offer its patients every advantage in their battle against breast disease.
In order to earn approval by the CoC and NAPBC, St. Luke’s committed to provide the best in diagnosis and treatment of cancer and underwent a rigorous evaluation process and review of its performance.
Cedar Rapids’ Leader in Cancer Care
“Receiving accreditations from the America College of Radiology and the American College of Surgeons confirms St. Luke’s is a leader in our community in caring for patients with a cancer diagnosis,” said Andrea Watkinson, director of St. Luke’s Cancer Services and the Nassif Community Cancer Center. “We are fortunate to have strong provider collaborations to assure we are exceeding quality metrics and adhering to national guidelines in the screening, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients.”
