PHILADELPHIA (August 26, 2025) — The National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC) has renewed Fox Chase Cancer Center’s accreditation, making it the sixth consecutive time Fox Chase has been honored with this distinction.
“Recognition from the NAPBC is a testament to the dedication and skills of our staff. It provides validation that Fox Chase Cancer Center provides top of the line care not only for breast cancer patients but those with benign disease as well,” said Richard Bleicher, MD, FACS, Clinical Director of the Breast Service Line, Chief of the Division of Breast Surgery, and Director of the Breast Oncology Fellowship.
Programs undergoing NAPBC accreditation or reaccreditation can still pass with a limited number of standards found to be noncompliant. When that occurs, programs still obtain their recertification, but are required to correct those deficiencies in the short term. In this reaccreditation, however, Fox Chase passed every standard and metric in the review.
Bleicher is vocal about the important national and international contributions of the NAPBC to elevating breast care. Fox Chase was one of the first programs accredited by the NAPBC after it was launched in 2006, and has had continuous accreditation since. The NAPBC, which is one of the first Quality Programs of the American College of Surgeons, is the premier accreditation program for breast centers in the United States. The standards set forth by the NAPBC represent the entire cancer care continuum, from prevention through survivorship, and is the current standard for marking quality in the field.
Through its diverse expertise and collaborative approach, the NAPBC requires that accredited breast centers adhere to the highest standards of care, benefiting patients with breast diseases. The board of the NAPBC is comprised of representatives from dozens of organizations that represent multiple medical specialties, allied health fields, and non-medical disciplines that together represent the entire spectrum of care for both malignant and benign breast disease.
“We are appreciative of this distinction from the NAPBC and are very grateful to be in this position to be able to help women who are faced with both benign breast disease as well as the burden of cancer,” said Bleicher.
For nearly two decades, Bleicher has been a strong advocate of NAPBC accreditation and the steps that it requires an organization to take in order earn its imprimatur, leading him to become involved with the organization over several years. After several appointments to positions within the quality program, he currently serves as both Vice Chair of the NAPBC and Chair of its Executive Committee.
Every three years, breast centers must apply for reaccreditation, which measures performance based on the current NAPBC Standards Manual. The standards touch on areas such as access to information, a multidisciplinary team approach, ongoing improvement of care, and information about clinical trials and new treatment options.