The American Society of Breast Disease (ASBD) has enjoyed a rich history of providing national conferences, educational forums, newsletters, consensus statements and the like to their interdisciplinary professional audience. Recognizing the similarities of missions and the need to find a partner in the face of a plethora of breast cancer meetings, ASBD made a pivotal decision to partner with the National Consortium of Breast Centers (NCBC) to share the clinical expertise of the ASBD Board and collective memberships.
This uniquely crafted joining of professionals from both organizations brings together the full range of practitioners and administrators who make possible the delivery of the best breast health care to our patients in the United States and abroad. Together, we will share one comprehensive educational conference venue each year. The variety of resources for the NCBC and the ASBD will be richly entwined offering clinical, psychosocial, and administrative educational meetings and updates for those caring for facing breast cancer and their families. The interdisciplinary teams enriched by this vision-driven program content will transport what they have learned to their own centers and continue working to enrich and develop the very best comprehensive breast centers.
The NCBC, which has enjoyed increasing membership and attendance over its more than 25 year history (over 1,000 attending the 2015 meeting), has welcomed the infusion of ASBD professionals at the last two national conferences (offering joint NCBC/ASBD Plenary and Breakout sessions). This partnership and cooperation paved the way for the increasing involvement of the ASBD members into the NCBC where multiple opportunities exist for their involvement and engagement.
To date, and only as first steps, select ASBD Board members rotated onto the NCBC Board and others of the ASBD Board rotated on to the 2016 Annual NCoBC Conference Planning Committee. Further integration of members from both the NCBC and the ASBD awaits creative expansion of committees and projects. No longer as separate organizations, but now combined as one under NCBC our collective strengths will allow us unprecedented growth and service opportunities.
With our recently added ASBD members, no other breast specialty organization offers the depth and breadth of interdisciplinary strengths on behalf of their constituency as NCBC.
Creating a strategic plan for the future will offer numerous possibilities andl position us all to offer the very best interdisciplinary breast health care to those to whom we serve -- our patients.