Riverside Methodist Hospital is First Columbus Hospital to Receive Breast Care Accreditation

    COLUMBUS, OH, August 04, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Riverside Methodist Hospital's breast care accreditation from NAPBC, administered by the American College of Surgeons, makes Riverside Methodist the first hospital in Columbus, and the third hospital in Ohio, to earn this honor.

"Our Breast Health program brings patients clinical expertise, combined with compassionate care," said Jeffrey G. Bell, MD, Medical Director, Riverside Cancer Services. "When women learn they have a breast disease, they want every resource, every option and every answer at their fingertips. We understand. We know that breast health is the number one concern - and we also make it ours. Our skilled and caring professionals are ready to surround patients with support, and provide unparalleled breast disease care."

Accreditation by the NAPBC is only given to centers that have voluntarily committed to providing the highest level of quality breast care to patients. Plus, facilities must undergo a rigorous evaluation process and review of their performance. During the survey process, the center under consideration 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 the areas of 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 significant advantage in their battle against breast disease.

Receiving care at a NAPBC-accredited center ensures that patients 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
- Quality breast care close to home

"The breast health program at Riverside has a comprehensive approach to breast care to ensure our patients are getting the best possible care," Bell said. "This means a team of experts- not just one individual or several physicians working independently from one another- treat each patient. This team brings numerous medical experts together in a collaborative approach to analyze specific cases and to develop a personalized treatment plan that is right for every individual."

For more information about OhioHealth's Breast Health program, please visit www.ohiohealth.com, or contact Christina Fitzer at 614-566-4517 or [email protected].

About Cancer Services at Riverside Methodist Hospital
Riverside Methodist's clinicians offer patients the latest in technology, a comprehensive clinical research program and award-winning, compassionate care. Riverside Methodist diagnoses and treats 58 different types of cancer and participates in more than 125 clinical research trials. Last year, Riverside Cancer Services managed more than 738,000 outpatient visits, as well as 18,000 imaging procedures and 2,400 surgeries. With more than one-third of our cancer patients coming from outside of central Ohio, Riverside Methodist Hospital is a regional destination for cancer care.

About NAPBC
The NAPBC is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to the improvement of the quality of care and monitoring of outcomes of patients with disease 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.

About Riverside Methodist Hospital
Riverside Methodist Hospital, a member of OhioHealth, a nationally-recognized, not-for-profit charitable, healthcare organization serving and supported by the community that was named by FORTUNE Magazine as one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" in 2007, 2008 and 2009. Based in Columbus, Ohio, OhioHealth is a family of 17 hospitals, 20 health and surgery centers, home-health providers, medical equipment and health services suppliers throughout a 40-county area. OhioHealth hospitals in central Ohio are Riverside Methodist Hospital, Grant Medical Center, Doctors Hospital, Grady Memorial Hospital and Dublin Methodist Hospital. For more information, please visit our newly revised web site at www.OhioHealth.com.

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