Frequently Asked Questions about the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers

The Quality Portal (QPort) is a standard online system for managing accreditation program activities

The Pre-Review Questionnaire (PRQ) is the application that provides necessary information and documentation for site reviewers to assess compliance with the standards. The PRQ must be completed and submitted by programs, with all appropriate documents uploaded, 60 calendar days before the confirmed site visit. The PRQ will only be accessible to programs beginning in the Fall before the year of the site visit. The PRQ will not be available during non-site visit years. The PRQ is accessed by programs in the Quality Portal.

CAnswer Forum is an interactive, virtual bulletin board designed as an open forum to provide guidance and answer questions regarding Optimal Resources for Breast Care (2024 Standards). It can also be used for networking and discussion of accreditation standards, cancer data collection and cancer staging, and other relevant topics. Users may ask questions and search topics and must complete a one-time registration where they will create a username and password to access the forum.

No, network accreditation is not available for NAPBC at this time. 

Additional locations for breast care services can be included under a single NAPBC accreditation if the additional locations meet the criteria. More information regarding additional locations requirements and forms can be found in the Resources section of QPort.

Yes. A new application must be submitted if the accreditation was withdrawn or lapsed. If your program is not currently accredited, a new program application can only be submitted after one full calendar year. For example, if a withdrawal or a Not Accredited award occurs in 2025, a new application cannot be submitted until 2027.

Information about reaccreditation processes may be found in the Resources section of the Quality Portal.

The accreditation process for new programs can be found on the Accreditation page on the NAPBC website.

A program that has never been accredited or a previously accredited program whose accreditation lapsed or withdrew from the accreditation process.

The Company ID for a program reapplying for accreditation will remain the same. If any information has changed since its previous accreditation, your program can submit a Site Information Change Request or update the site profile in QPort.

No, these will not be available until after the program has paid the initial accreditation fee and received full access to QPort. However, programs may purchase the NAPBC Optimal Resources for Breast Care Gap Analysis Tool, which provides access to many resources and all required templates for the accreditation process. 

Yes. Resources to assist programs with preparation include:

• CAnswer Forum
• NAPBC Optimal Resources for Breast Care Gap Analysis Tool
• Educational Webinars and Conference Materials

No, there is no application fee to apply for accreditation. However, you will be billed the first annual accreditation fee upon application.

The initial accreditation fee for a new program is the same as the annual accreditation fee. However, there is an additional fee for the first site visit, which must take place in person.

Current fees may be requested by emailing napbc@facs.org with “Accreditation fees” in the subject line.

Programs should be prepared to be visited within six (6) months of the approval of the application. Applications should not be submitted until the program has a calendar year of compliance.

Questions may be sent to napbc@facs.org with “New program application/questions” in the subject line.

No, all initial site visits must be in person. Please note: There is an additional fee for the in-person visit.

Applications must be submitted by June 30 to have an initial site visit scheduled in the same year.

Once the initial application fee has been processed, programs will receive notification that full access to QPort has been granted and four preferred site visit dates can be submitted at that time.

The site visit will review analytic breast cancer cases that were treated at the program during the previous calendar year.

Before Accredited status is granted, corrective action must be completed for any non-compliant standards noted in the accreditation report. Programs undergoing an initial site visit that have five (5) or more non-compliant standards will be rated Not Accredited and will need to reapply after one calendar year.