New Brunswick, N.J. - Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) and Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey’s Breast Cancer Program has been granted a full three-year accreditation by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), a program administered by the American College of Surgeons. This reaccreditation marks the third time that RWJUH and Rutgers Cancer Institute have achieved this status.
Accreditation by the NAPBC is only given to those centers that have voluntarily committed to provide the highest level of quality breast care and that undergo a rigorous evaluation process and review of their performance.
During the survey process, RWJUH and Rutgers Cancer Institute’s Breast Cancer Program demonstrated 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 program leadership, clinical management, research, community outreach, professional education and quality improvement. The NAPBC is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to the improvement of the quality of care and monitoring of outcomes of patients with diseases of the breast.
“Earning reaccreditation is testament to the spirit of teamwork that exists among our staff at RWJUH, faculty physicians at Rutgers Cancer Institute, University Radiology Group and our community oncologists,” notes Lynn Lutwin, MA, MSN, RN, OCN, CBCN, CBPN-IC, NE-BC, CTR, Director of the Breast Care Connection at RWJUH. “We are pleased that the NAPBC recognized our program for the comprehensive care and breadth of services we provide for individuals battling breast cancer.”
“The Breast Cancer Program here is unique because it represents a true collaborative effort between an academic medical center and an NCI (National Cancer Institute)-designated comprehensive cancer center,” says Thomas Kearney, MD, FACS, Surgical Oncologist, Section Chief, Breast Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology and Director of Breast Care Services for Rutgers Cancer Institute and RWJUH. “Patients diagnosed with breast cancer have access to the most advanced treatments, research and clinical trials at Rutgers Cancer Institute and they also benefit from the high-touch, personalized care provided by RWJUH’s Breast Care Connection team. We are proud that the NAPBC has affirmed our program’s commitment to quality and excellence.”
Receiving care at a NAPBC-accredited center ensures that a patient 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
For more information about the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers, visit their website at www.accreditedbreastcenters.org.
To learn more about RWJUH, please visit www.rwjuh.edu. For a referral to a physician affiliated with RWJUH, please call 1-888-MD-RWJUH. Follow us on Twitter at www.rwjuh.edu/twitter and Facebook at www.rwjuh.edu/facebook.
About Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
As New Jersey’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey is dedicated to improving the prevention, detection, treatment, and care of patients with cancer, through the transformation of laboratory discoveries into clinical practice - outsmarting cancer with science. The Cancer Institute of New Jersey delivers advanced comprehensive care to adults and children including access to clinical trials and conducts cutting-edge cancer research.
The coveted NCI designation, awarded to only 45 such centers nationwide, is granted competitively to institutions characterized by scientific excellence and the ability to bring research discoveries to patients. To gain a "comprehensive" designation, the highest ranking given by the NCI, a center must meet rigorous criteria in cancer care, research, prevention and education.
The leadership of the Cancer Institute of New Jersey is comprised of distinguished researchers and physicians who are internationally recognized in their field. Our basic scientists, clinical researchers, and population scientists meet regularly to exchange information and ensure that laboratory discoveries are refined and applied to clinical care as quickly as possible, that clinical observations reach laboratory researchers on a continuing basis, and that prevention strategies are interwoven in to all research programs - with one goal in mind - winning is everything!
About Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) is a 965-bed academic medical center with campuses in New Brunswick and Somerville, NJ. Its Centers of Excellence include cardiovascular care from minimally invasive heart surgery to transplantation, cancer care, stroke care, neuroscience, joint replacement, and women’s and children’s care including The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (www.bmsch.org).
As the flagship Cancer Hospital of Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and the principal teaching hospital of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, RWJUH is an innovative leader in advancing state-of-the-art care. A Level 1 Trauma Center and the first Pediatric Trauma Center in the state, RWJUH’s New Brunswick campus serves as a national resource in its ground-breaking approaches to emergency preparedness.
RWJUH has been ranked among the best hospitals in America by U.S. News & World Report seven times and has been selected by the publication as a high performing hospital in numerous specialties. The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital has been ranked among the best hospitals in America by U.S. News & World Report three times. In addition, RWJUH was named among the best places to work in health care by Modern Healthcare magazine and received the Equity of Care Award as Top Hospital for Healthcare Diversity and Inclusion from the American Hospital Association.
Both the New Brunswick and Somerset campuses have earned significant national recognition for clinical quality and patient safety, including the prestigious Magnet® Award for Nursing Excellence and “Most Wired” designation by Hospitals and Health Networks Magazine. The Joint Commission and the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services have designated the New Brunswick Campus as a Comprehensive Stroke Center and the Somerset Campus as a Primary Stroke Center.
The American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer has rated RWJUH New Brunswick among the nation’s best comprehensive cancer centers and designated the Steeplechase Cancer Center at RWJ Somerset as a Comprehensive Community Cancer Center. The Joint Surgery Center at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset has earned the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for total knee and total hip replacement surgery.
For more information, visit us online at www.rwjuh.edu.