The National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC) has some brand new updates that will go into effect in 2024. Here’s why they should matter to you:
They’re all about exercise!
Specifically, the updates clarify the requirements for pre-operative functional assessments & appropriate referrals to exercise programs & rehabilitation.
This is huge for so many reasons, but most especially to help expand patient access & pathways to appropriate exercise & rehab services.
Today, Dr. Karen Wonders of Maple Tree Cancer Alliance is on the podcast to discuss what these new updates are & what exactly they mean for you. Plus, we also talk about how you can leverage your expertise & facilitate this process for your community – aka become the go-to pro as these updates are implemented.
Listen now!
What is the NAPBC?
The National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC) is a program developed by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) to ensure and standardize the quality of care provided by breast centers across the United States. The NAPBC was established to recognize and accredit breast care programs that meet certain standards of care for patients with breast diseases, particularly breast cancer.
Breast centers that seek accreditation from the NAPBC undergo a rigorous evaluation process to ensure they meet specific criteria related to patient care, including the quality of diagnosis and treatment, patient support services, and adherence to best practices.
The NAPBC sets rigorous standards for breast centers to meet, covering a wide range of areas, including clinical services, breast imaging, pathology, breast cancer treatment, and patient support. These standards are regularly updated to reflect advances in medical knowledge and technology.
One of the key principles of NAPBC accreditation is the emphasis on a multidisciplinary approach to breast care. This means that breast centers are encouraged to bring together a team of healthcare professionals, including surgeons, radiologists, oncologists, nurses, and support staff, to provide comprehensive and coordinated care for breast cancer patients.
And this is where you come into play.
The NAPBC Exercise Updates
Standard 5.9 Surgical Care & Standard 5.10 Reconstructive Surgery now have explicit requirements for a pre-operative & post-operative functional assessment & “appropriate referrals to exercise, physical therapy, &/or lymphedema management.”
Standard 5.11 Medical Oncology requires that exercise therapy recommendations are documented within the patient medical record.
Standard 5.15 Survivorship states breast centers must “implement a protocol following evidence-based guidelines addressing persistent symptoms and maximizing physical function and social and behavioral health, with documentation in the patient medical record.”
Basically, these patients need to be assessed, tracked, & then connected with the help they need.
“This is a heavy lift.”
As Dr. Wonders discussed in the podcast, this is a big change for breast centers that do not currently have programs in place. However, this is a FANTASTIC opportunity for you. Here’s why:
If those breast centers don’t currently have programs/referral pathways in place, they may be looking for already established exercise oncology & cancer rehab programs. Let me be clear: they will be looking for you.
What these standards should mean for the rest of oncology
While these standards are being implemented exclusively in breast centers now, these standards need to be adopted across all diagnoses.
This is an opportunity to take oncology care into this century. Let’s face it: “we’re preparing for the tsunami.” There’s 2 million Americans diagnosed with cancer every year, & that only adds to the 20 million Americans living after a cancer diagnosis right now.
We need a workforce who is prepared to treat this patient population.
About Dr. Karen Wonders
Karen Wonders, PhD, FACSM, is the Founder and CEO of Maple Tree Cancer Alliance, and Professor of Exercise Physiology at Wright State University. Her passion is to advocate for exercise to become a part of the national standard of care for cancer.
Maple Tree provides free exercise training, nutrition counseling, and emotional support to thousands of cancer survivors every month at several locations across the US. Dr. Wonders is committed to evidence-based practice in her facilities, and has a robust research program that has more than 100 published peer-reviewed manuscripts on the topic of exercise and cancer recovery.
A gifted communicator, Dr. Wonders has given numerous professional presentations on the national, state, and local levels, including a talk at TEDxDayton on Exercising through Cancer Care. Finally, she is married to her college sweetheart, and together they have seven children. If you think her hands are full, you should see her heart!