UAB Hospital named among top breast health centers in the United States

UAB Hospital receives 2015 Women’s Choice Award and is named one of America’s Best Breast Centers.

breast cancer awardUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital has received a 2015 Women’s Choice Award, being named one of America’s Best Breast Centers, acknowledging the UAB Breast Health Center’s dedication to exceptional patient care and treatment.

Women’s Choice Award is a consumer advocacy group that helps women make smart health care decisions by identifying where they can get the very best care. It is the only program that identifies the nation’s best in health care based on patient satisfaction, clinical excellence, and what women really want when it comes to treatment and a high-quality medical experience.

“It is an honor to have this distinction bestowed on us, as it comes from the voice of women,” said Helen Krontiras, M.D., surgical oncologist and co-director of the UAB Breast Health Center. “When women choose to come to UAB, they can be assured that we have met the highest standards in caring for the needs of our female patients.”

UAB was selected because it met the rigorous standards and measures of excellence from the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers from the American College of Surgeons, carries the Seal of the American College of Radiologists as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence, and has a score above the national average on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services patient recommendation measures, or their equivalents. Fewer than 350 centers met the WCA standards in 2015, resulting in an elite group of centers devoted to women’s breast health.

According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the second most common form of cancer among women. One in eight women will develop breast cancer during her lifetime.

“A multidisciplinary approach is key to assuring the appropriate plan is implemented for each individual patient. We provide our patients with comprehensive, state-of-the-art treatment options and follow-up care that include screening, risk assessment, prevention strategies, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and research, including the latest in clinical trial options.”

“A woman is diagnosed every two minutes, and she needs the knowledge and confidence to select the very best centers that employ advanced technology and clinical practices to give her peace of mind as she embarks on this emotional journey,” said Delia Passi, CEO and founder of the Women’s Choice Award.

The UAB Breast Health Center is part of the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center, one of the nation’s leading cancer research and treatment centers, and is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center located in the six-state area that comprises Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina.

With so many treatment options available, UAB understands the importance of taking a personal, well-rounded approach to each patient’s treatment.

“We know now that breast cancer is not a one-size-fits-all disease,” Krontiras said. “A multidisciplinary approach is key to assuring the appropriate plan is implemented for each individual patient. We provide our patients with comprehensive, state-of-the-art treatment options and follow-up care that include screening, risk assessment, prevention strategies, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and research, including the latest in clinical trial options.”

UAB also has several clinics that match the needs of women, no matter the phase of breast cancer they are battling. Each clinic is staffed by experts in their fields who provide personal care to each and every woman who visits.

“When women choose the UAB Breast Health Center, they can be confident in knowing that our physicians are nationally recognized experts in breast health and employ today’s leading-edge treatments,” said Krontiras.