Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute Breast Cancer Partnership Receives National Accreditation

Collaboration with community partners recognized for patient care excellence

Davenport, Fla., Oct. 21, 2021 — Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute (FCS), in collaboration with AdventHealth Heart of Florida and Central Florida Cancer Institute, has received a three-year accreditation from the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), a quality program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS).

The breast cancer program received this designation for meeting national standards of excellence for providing comprehensive, patient-centered, multidisciplinary care and demonstrating high-quality clinical outcomes for patients with breast disease.

FCS medical oncologist Swati Pathak, MD said, “We value our partnership with our colleagues to ensure that patients throughout our community have access to a comprehensive range of exceptional care and treatment for breast cancer and other diseases of the breast.”

“This accreditation confirms that our patients consistently receive the highest quality of care, which results in outstanding clinical outcomes,” added Wasif Riaz, MD, FCS medical oncologist. “We are extremely proud.”

“We are glad to be able to offer the residents of Polk County the highest quality breast cancer care through our nationally accredited program,” said Paul Williams, MD, breast surgical oncologist at AdventHealth Heart of Florida. “Our breast care team is dedicated to providing outstanding care to breast cancer patients and is grateful for this recognition from the NAPBC.”

NAPBC-accredited centers demonstrate excellence in program leadership, clinical services, research, community outreach, professional education and quality improvement. Patients receiving care at a NAPBC-accredited center have access to information on clinical trials and new treatments, genetic counseling, and patient-centered services, including care navigation.

“Our team focuses on treating the whole patient through advanced medical and surgical therapies as well as personalized education about cancer treatment and follow-up care. We can also help patients access needed resources ranging from psychosocial support to nutritional counseling and financial assistance,” said Dr. Williams.

Receiving care at an NAPBC-accredited center like FCS ensures that patients have access to:
•    Comprehensive care, including a full range of state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment services
•    A multidisciplinary team approach to coordinate the best treatment options, and
•    Information about clinical trials and new treatment options

Participating NAPBC-accredited breast program providers include:

Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute:

• Swati Pathak, MD
• Wasif Riaz, MD

AdventHealth Heart of Florida:

• Edgar Morales, MD
• Hassan Shahid, MD
• Paul Williams, MD

Central Florida Cancer Institute:

• Randy Heysek, M.D., F.A.C.R.O.
• Sandra Sha, MD

For more information or patient referral, call (863) 421-7276.

About the NAPBC

The NAPBC is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to the improvement of the quality of care and monitoring of outcomes of patients with diseases of the breast. This mission is pursued through standard-setting, scientific validation, and patient and professional education. Its board membership includes professionals from 20 national organizations that reflect the full spectrum of breast care.  For information on the NAPBC please go to www.facs.org.napbc.

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About Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute, LLC: (FLCancer.com)

Recognized by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) with a national Clinical Trials Participation Award, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute (FCS) offers patients access to more clinical trials than any private oncology practice in Florida. In the past four years, the majority of new cancer drugs approved for use in the U.S. were studied in clinical trials with Florida Cancer Specialists participation.* Trained in prestigious medical schools and research institutes, our physicians are consistently ranked nationally as Top Doctors by U.S. News & World Report.

Founded in 1984, Florida Cancer Specialists has built a national reputation for excellence that is reflected in exceptional and compassionate patient care, driven by innovative clinical research, cutting-edge technologies and advanced treatments, including targeted therapies, genomic-based treatment, and immunotherapy.  Our highest values are embodied by our outstanding team of highly trained and dedicated physicians, clinicians and staff.

*Prior to approval

For More Information, contact:
Michelle Robey, Vice President of Marketing & Communications
Michelle.Robey@FLCancer.com
(813) 767.9398

About AdventHealth Heart of Florida

AdventHealth Heart of Florida is a 202-bed acute care hospital in Davenport, Florida. Formerly known as Heart of Florida Regional Medical Center, since the 1960s it has been providing health care services and a wide range of medical specialties from women’s health to bariatric surgery and weight loss, cardiology, emergency services, joint replacement, maternity care, orthopedics, stroke care and more. The hospital is part of the AdventHealth Care Network, based in Altamonte Springs. With more than 80,000 team members, AdventHealth is one of the nation’s largest faith-based health care systems with nearly 50 hospitals and hundreds of care sites in nearly a dozen states. With the mission of Extending the Healing Ministry of Christ, AdventHealth provides whole person care to heal the body, mind and spirit. For more information, visit AdventHealthHeartofFlorida.com.

About Central Florida Cancer Institute

Central Florida Cancer Institute is a cancer treatment facility established in 1999 by Dr. Randy Heysek in Davenport, Florida. The treatment center specializes in state-of-the-art radiation therapy treatment, and its mission is to bring advanced cancer treatment technology closer to home for patient convenience and ease of access for cancer patients and their families. Although the initial facility began in 1999 with 5,000 square feet of medical space, Central Florida Cancer Institute grew quickly to expand into the Lake Wales community building, an additional 7,500 square feet treatment facility, before moving into its current established state-of-the-art 17,000 square feet cancer treatment facility in January of 2010. The institute offers the most unique and advanced technology for cancer patients including AccuBoost®, a unique breast cancer imaging guided treatment, as well as radiosurgery, intensity modulated radiation therapy, fluoroscopic and cone beam CT image guidance, 3-D treatment, and high dose rate brachytherapy cancer treatment.