NAPBC Accredits South Nassau Communities Hospital's Center for Breast Health

Oceanside, NY, October 19, 2016 --(PR.com)-- South Nassau Communities Hospital's Center for Breast Health has been granted a three-year, full re-accreditation designation by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC). The Center for Breast Health earned its initial NAPBC accreditation in 2013.

To achieve the re-accreditation, South Nassau demonstrated its compliance with standards established by the NAPBC to provide the best possible care to patients with diseases of the breast. The standards include proficiency in the areas of: center leadership, clinical management, research, community outreach, professional education, and quality improvement. Administered by the American College of Surgeons, NAPBC accreditation is awarded only to those centers that have voluntarily committed to provide the highest level of quality breast care and to undergo a rigorous evaluation process and review of their performance.

"What this means to women across Long Island is that South Nassau is steadfast in its mission to provide them with outstanding breast health services and care that is tailored to their specific needs," said Richard J. Murphy, South Nassau's president and CEO.

By achieving NAPBC accreditation, South Nassau has demonstrated a firm commitment to offer its patients every significant advantage in their battle against breast disease. This includes:

• 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.

"Our staff of accomplished breast cancer specialists take a team approach to developing treatment plans that are specific to the unique needs of our patients," said Rajiv Datta, MD, FACS, FRCS, FICS, chair of the department of surgery and medical director of South Nassau's Gertrude & Louis Feil Cancer Center. "The treatment plans incorporate our range of advanced treatment therapies and surgical technology so that our patients achieve the best possible outcomes."

A division of South Nassau's Gertrude & Louis Feil Cancer Center, the Center for Breast Health offers a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary breast care program, with a full spectrum of clinical and support services, from screening and diagnosis to treatment and counseling. Detecting breast cancer in its earliest stage is the focus of South Nassau's Center for Women's Imaging. A designated Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiology, the Center uses an array of state-of-the-art diagnostic technologies, including digital mammography, high resolution ultrasound and MRI of the breast, to detect breast disease in its earliest stage. Minimally invasive procedures can detect breast cancer long before it becomes a serious threat to your health and wellness.

If a tumor or abnormality is detected, the Center for Breast Health then offers the most advanced treatments for breast cancer and breast health complications and uses targeted surgical techniques that aim to preserve as much of the healthy breast and surrounding areas as possible. This includes Contura™ multi-channel and Mammosite® single-channel balloon brachytherapy techniques, which utilize a balloon catheter to deliver highly localized radiation to the lumpectomy bed; breast-conserving surgery (commonly known as lumpectomy), in which only the tumor or abnormality is removed from the breast; or mastectomy, an operation in which the whole breast is removed. For invasive breast cancer, these procedures may be accompanied by a sentinel lymph node biopsy or axillary lymph node dissection if needed.

Oncoplastic surgical techniques are also offered. Oncoplasty combines surgical cancer removal with plastic surgery techniques to produce a superior cosmetic end result. Recommendations for whole-body or "systemic" treatments, such as hormonal therapy, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or a combination of two of the three therapies, may follow either surgical approach. If early-stage breast cancer is present, sentinel lymph node biopsy is used as an alternative to traditional lymph node dissection.

Treating approximately 1,500 patients annually, the Gertrude & Louis Feil Cancer Center has evolved into one of the region's premiere providers of compassionate advanced cancer care. The center is the only one on Long Island that is equipped with all three of the most effective technologies used to treat and eradicate cancer: the Varian Novalis Tx™, da Vinci® Surgical System and Gamma Knife® Perfexion.

In addition to the Center for Breast Health and CWI, the Gertrude & Louis Feil Cancer Center incorporates the following specialty cancer care services:

· Cancer Center (Valley Stream)

• GYN Oncology Department (Valley Stream)

• Long Island Gamma Knife® Center (Oceanside)

• Center for Prostate Health Program (Oceanside)

• Center for Lung Health (Oceanside/Valley Stream)

• Radiation Oncology Department (Oceanside and Valley Stream)

• Surgical Oncology Department (Oceanside and Valley Stream)

• RALI PET Imaging (Rockville Centre)

For more information about the Center for Breast Health, Center for Women's Imaging and/or the Gertrude & Louis Feil Cancer Center, or to schedule an appointment, please call 1-877-SOUTH-NASSAU.