Monument Health Breast Care Program earns accreditation from the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers of the American College of Surgeons

Rapid City, S.D. (Jan. 30, 2024) – The National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), a quality program administered by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) has granted accredited status to the Monument Health Breast Care Program in Rapid City, SD.  To achieve voluntary NAPBC accreditation, a breast center demonstrates compliance with the NAPBC standards that address a center’s leadership, clinical services, research, community outreach, professional education and quality improvement for patients. Breast centers seeking NAPBC accreditation undergo a site visit every three years.

As a NAPBC-accredited center, the Breast Care Program is committed to maintaining levels of excellence in the delivery of comprehensive, patient-centered, multidisciplinary care resulting in high-quality care for patients with breast disease. Patients can be confident that their breast care team includes health care professionals from a variety of disciplines who are committed to working together to provide the best care available through their entire course of treatment and beyond.  

Patients receiving care at a NAPBC-accredited center also have access to information on clinical trials and new treatment options, genetic counseling, and patient-centered services including psychosocial support, rehabilitation services and survivorship care.   

“Our story has its origin through the vision, compassionate care and determination of the late Julie Raymond, M.D., along with her team to elevate the breast care delivered in Rapid City. Following many years of hard work and dedication shared by numerous health professionals and leadership at Monument Health, this dream has now become a reality,” said Ashlea Semmens, M.D., Breast Care Program Director. “As an organization we are honored to be a NAPBC-accredited center. We greatly appreciate unwavering community support and the opportunity to serve our patients in this region with the highest level of breast care.” 

Accreditation by the NAPBC is granted only to those programs that are committed to providing the best possible care to patients with breast cancer. The NAPBC outlines the structure and resources needed to develop and operate a high-quality breast center and accredited program. Patients receiving care at this NAPBC-accredited center 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.

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About the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers

The National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers represents a consortium of national, professional organizations dedicated to the quality of care of patients with diseases of the breast. Its board membership includes professionals from more than 20 national organizations that represent the full spectrum of breast care.  For more information, visit https://www.facs.org/quality-programs/napbc.  

About Monument Health

Headquartered in Rapid City, S.D., Monument Health is a community-based health care system with a mission to make a difference, every day. The system offers care in 31 medical specialties and serves 14 communities across western South Dakota and in eastern Wyoming. With over 5,000 physicians and caregivers, Monument Health is composed of 5 hospitals and 38 medical clinics and specialty centers. Monument Health is a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network.