The Van Nuys Breast Center: the first free-standing multidisciplinary breast center.

This article describes the author's 30-year experience with the design and development of breast centers. It describes the author's initial attempt at developing a breast center at UCLA, the history of the Van Nuys Breast Center (its patient population, philosophy, problems, finances, and demise), and the development of the Harold E. and Henrietta C. Lee Breast Center. Breast centers are defined as focused multidisciplinary facilities of excellence, dealing with the complete range of breast problems. The main focus of this article is the Van Nuys Breast Center, which was the prototype model for most breast centers developed in the United States.