The American Society of Breast Surgeons
Encyclopedia
The American Society of Breast Surgeons is a professional medical society whose active members are general surgeons who dedicate all or part of their practices to the treatment of breast disease.
and 35 countries around the world. The majority of its members devote 50% or more of their practice to breast surgery
. They practice in a variety of settings ranging from urban to rural and from academic institution
s to private practice
.
interested in providing a forum for discussio n, education and advancement of the quality of care provided to patients with breast disease
.
s that serve the professional needs and interests of its membership, most notably an annual meeting that provides the surgical community with a forum for the presentation and discussion of the latest research
and developments. The Society also certifies individual surgeon
s and accredits facilities in breast ultrasound
and in stereotactic
breast
procedures. In addition, its Mastery of Breast Surgery Program, a voluntary quality improvement initiative, is designed to help surgeons document their clinical performance of breast procedures, as well as their care of breast cancer
patients and patients at risk for breast cancer. Participation in the program is recognized by the American Board of Surgery
as fulfilling the requirements for Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Part 4 and is also recognized as a qualified 2010 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
(CMS)Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) Registry for the Perioperative Measures Group.
, advocacy
and regulatory initiatives and members serve as representatives to numerous medical and quality improvement organizations
.
s involved in the care of patients with breast disease, and non-physician licensed healthcare professionals. In addition to those practicing in the United States
, membership in all categories is open to international applicants who meet the requirements.
Demographics
As of 2011, the Society has approximately 3000 members from throughout the U.S.United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and 35 countries around the world. The majority of its members devote 50% or more of their practice to breast surgery
Breast surgery
Breast surgery is a form of surgery performed on the breast.Types include:*Breast reduction surgery*Augmentation mammoplasty*Mastectomy*Lumpectomy*Breast-conserving surgery, a less radical cancer surgery than mastectomy...
. They practice in a variety of settings ranging from urban to rural and from academic institution
Academic institution
Academic institution is an educational institution dedicated to education and research, which grants academic degrees. See also academy and university.- Types of academic institutions include :...
s to private practice
Private practice
Private practice may refer to:*Practice of law*Medical practice*Private Practice , released in 1978 by Dr. Feelgood*Private Practice , a U.S.-produced medical drama...
.
History
The Society was founded in 1995 by a group of general surgeonsGeneral surgery
General surgery, despite its name, is a surgical specialty that focuses on abdominal organs, e.g., intestines including esophagus, stomach, small bowel, colon, liver, pancreas, gallbladder and bile ducts, and often the thyroid gland . They also deal with diseases involving the skin, breast, soft...
interested in providing a forum for discussio n, education and advancement of the quality of care provided to patients with breast disease
Breast disease
Breast diseases can be classified either with disorders of the integuement, or disorders of the reproductive system. A majority of breast diseases are noncancerous.Breast awareness is a goal of the breast health movement...
.
Programs and services
The Society hosts educational programEducational program
An educational program is a program written by the ministry of education which determines the learning progress of each subject in all the stages of formal education....
s that serve the professional needs and interests of its membership, most notably an annual meeting that provides the surgical community with a forum for the presentation and discussion of the latest research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
and developments. The Society also certifies individual surgeon
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
s and accredits facilities in breast ultrasound
Ultrasound
Ultrasound is cyclic sound pressure with a frequency greater than the upper limit of human hearing. Ultrasound is thus not separated from "normal" sound based on differences in physical properties, only the fact that humans cannot hear it. Although this limit varies from person to person, it is...
and in stereotactic
Stereotactic surgery
Stereotactic surgery or stereotaxy is a minimally invasive form of surgical intervention which makes use of a three-dimensional coordinates system to locate small targets inside the body and to perform on them some action such as ablation, biopsy, lesion, injection, stimulation, implantation,...
breast
Breast
The breast is the upper ventral region of the torso of a primate, in left and right sides, which in a female contains the mammary gland that secretes milk used to feed infants.Both men and women develop breasts from the same embryological tissues...
procedures. In addition, its Mastery of Breast Surgery Program, a voluntary quality improvement initiative, is designed to help surgeons document their clinical performance of breast procedures, as well as their care of breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
patients and patients at risk for breast cancer. Participation in the program is recognized by the American Board of Surgery
American Board of Surgery
The American Board of Surgery is an independent, non-profit organization based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania founded for the purpose of certifying surgeons who have met a defined standard of education, training and knowledge...
as fulfilling the requirements for Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Part 4 and is also recognized as a qualified 2010 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services , previously known as the Health Care Financing Administration , is a federal agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services that administers the Medicare program and works in partnership with state governments to administer...
(CMS)Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) Registry for the Perioperative Measures Group.
Collaboration
The Society collaborates with other organizations on educationEducation
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, advocacy
Advocacy
Advocacy is a political process by an individual or a large group which normally aims to influence public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions; it may be motivated from moral, ethical or faith principles or simply to protect an...
and regulatory initiatives and members serve as representatives to numerous medical and quality improvement organizations
Quality improvement organizations
Quality Improvement Organizations monitor the appropriateness, effectiveness, and quality of care provided to Medicare beneficiaries. They are private contractor extensions of the federal government that work under the auspices of the U.S...
.
Membership criteria
The American Society of Breast Surgeons has four categories of membership: Active, Associate, Affiliate, and Candidate. Membership is open to surgeons, non-surgeon physicianPhysician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
s involved in the care of patients with breast disease, and non-physician licensed healthcare professionals. In addition to those practicing in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, membership in all categories is open to international applicants who meet the requirements.