The Breast Center offers a full range of services for anyone concerned with breast health, including routine screenings, assessments, diagnostic work-ups, education and treatment plans designed and coordinated by a team of health care specialists. Our staff works closely with your primary physician to provide you with timely results and guided support through each step of your care.

Breast Center awarded accreditation
The Breast Center has been awarded a three-year term of accreditation in stereotactic breast biopsy as the result of a recent survey by the American College of Radiology (ACR). The Breast Center is the first accredited stereotactic program in Central Minnesota. In stereotactic breast biopsy, a special mammography machine helps guide the radiologist to the site of a breast abnormality.

The ACR gold seal of accreditation represents the highest level of image quality and patient safety. It is awarded only to facilities meeting ACR Practice Guidelines and Technical Standards after a peer-review evaluation by board-certified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in the field. Image quality, personnel qualifications, adequacy of facility equipment, quality control procedures, and quality assurance programs are assessed.

Breast Care Committee
A group of physicians and other health care providers from the community, known as the Breast Care Committee, meets routinely to evaluate and improve the coordination of breast care for women in Central Minnesota. This group of radiologists, general and reconstructive surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, and primary care doctors meets to review the current diagnostic and treatment strategies to develop the best possible approach to the treatment of breast cancer and other breast problems.

The Breast Care Committee has three main goals:

• facilitate prompt and coordinated medical management for all patients
• provide a convenient, supportive and educational environment for patients and families
• develop a comprehensive program locally that is recognized for quality and excellence.

Numerous special Breast Case Conferences are conducted throughout the year by radiologists and pathologists at St. Cloud Hospital. This is an opportunity to do case-by-case correlation of radiological findings and interpretations with pathology findings. The educational forum is considered a "quality improvement" activity where all specialty physicians (radiologists, pathologists, surgeons, oncologists) can combine clinical case studies with evidence-based medicine to develop outcome measures for improving patient care.