Dr. Melissa Hulvat lauded the accreditations of the Bass Breast Center and Kalispell Regional Medical Center’s cancer programs as a big deal.

“To us, it’s like receiving straight A’s on our cancer care report card and making a nationwide honor roll,” said Hulvat, a breast surgical oncologist. “This is not possible without an entire team of cancer experts who are uniquely devoted to patients.”

At a press conference Tuesday, Hulvat and Dr. Craig Eddy, Northwest Healthcare’s chief medical officer, announced the accreditations with commendation granted by the American College of Surgeons. Eddy credited Hulvat and her team for voluntarily submitting to the grueling and meticulous process.

“Most programs don’t even achieve accreditation on the first go-round,” Eddy said.

He said it was even more remarkable to receive accreditation with commendation. Eddy described a commendation as meeting a standard at the highest level of competence.

“They come and look at our program and they say this is the best practice. This is the best I’ve seen. I want to take this out and share this with other areas and with other programs that are being accredited.”

Both the hospital cancer program and the Bass Breast Center received three-year accreditation. The American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer granted the hospital’s cancer program accreditation while its relatively new National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers reviewed and accredited the breast center.

Hulvat said the Commission on Cancer required the hospital to meet 36 standards with a new push to make the standards patient-centered. She said it isn’t enough for a hospital to just say it provides excellent care.

“We have to prove that we have the latest technology and the right physicians and practitioners to administer them,” she said. “Even more, we have to prove that we bring these technologies to the patient.”   

Hulvat added that the hospital must also keep rigorous data through the national cancer database that provides lifetime follow-up with cancer patients. Other standards address prevention, early detection and survivorship.

Hulvat said accreditation means that the cancer and breast center can “stand shoulder to shoulder” with the finest institutions in the state, region and nation.

“There’s only one level of accreditation,” she said. “We are proud to say that Kalispell Regional Medical Center compares to the cancer care centers in our region such as Saint Pat’s all the way to Spokane, Seattle and across the country.”

For the patient, the accreditation testifies to multidisciplinary care including case review when appropriate by a tumor board of physicians and other providers discussing pathology, radiology, treatment plans, palliative care, social work, nutrition and other aspects of care.

Patients also have access to clinical trials and cutting-edge treatments with support from the hospital’s Glacier View Research Institute.

Sandy Shaw, cancer patient navigator, described her role in guiding patients from diagnosis through treatment. She said navigators adjust their role as the patient adjusts to their disease while providing educational, emotional and other support to the patient and family.

Breast cancer patient Jan Ruff-Strait of Kalispell spoke at the press conference about her experience that began with diagnosis in November 2010. She said she experienced the full gamut of treatment through the Bass Breast Center.

“It was very unnerving to be told that the lump I could feel in my breast was cancer,” she said. “My husband and I were soon to find out that — even though our world had just been turned upside down — there were people right here at home who were up to the task of ridding my body of this terrible disease.”

According to Ruff-Strait, all her appointment for scans, biopsies, surgery and lymphodema were made for her. She said the staff answered her questions promptly and she and her husband were kept informed on each next step and its potential impact on her body.

“Their disposition was always sunny and optimistic,” she said. “Their confidence in each other and their program was a great comfort to me and my family.”

Answering questions at the press conference, Hulvat said Northwest Healthcare treats about 800 cancer patients who come from a wide area including other states. Canadian citizens also come for cancer treatment.

She said that the cancer and breast centers treat 98 percent of all cancers. Medical oncologist Karen Hunt said the 2 percent not treated because of blood support problems include leukemia, stem cell and bone marrow transplants.

“But otherwise, we pretty much do everything,” Hunt said.

Pathologist Dr. Pete Smith, director of laboratory medicine, said this hospital sees “an amazing array” of different tumors due to the level of expertise gathered in the cancer treatment center. Eddy added that this hospital has the services of Dr. David Sheldon and Dr. Sydney Lillard, the only general surgery specialty-trained cancer surgeons in the state.

Other physicians on the cancer team recognized at the press conference were Breast Imaging Specialist Debra Wade and Interventional Radiologist Banjamin Pomerantz. The press conference room was filled with other team members including nurses, support staff, social workers, therapists and tumor registrar.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by email at cchase@dailyinterlake.com