Allies, A Specialty Boutique, has successfully completed a rigorous process to earn facility accreditation from the Board of Certification/Accreditation. The only dedicated provider of mastectomy products north of Everett, Bellingham-based Allies serves Whatcom, Skagit, Island, and San Juan counties.
The BOC awards accreditation when a supplier demonstrates compliance to blue-ribbon standards set by BOC and recognized by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
“We are thrilled to have earned BOC facility accreditation in recognition of our dedication to customer service and ongoing training,” said founder Laura DeWitt. “Facilities are required to go through this process every three years, and it is a rigorous process designed to ensure that companies like Allies operate with the highest levels of integrity and quality.”
This accreditation is specific to companies that provide patients with external breast prostheses, mastectomy garments, lymphedema garments and other breast care products that address and treat physical asymmetries.
Laura DeWitt, a certified mastectomy fitter since 2014, is also a breast cancer survivor. DeWitt is one of 13 providers to earn BOC mastectomy fitter certification in Washington state, and she is the only certified provider north of Everett, according to BOC records.
Through her specialty boutique, DeWitt provides women with nonsurgical products — breast forms and pocket bras — that return symmetry after mastectomy, lumpectomy and reconstruction procedures, and she does so in a setting that ensures privacy and dignity and provides a sense of belonging. Learn more at www.alliesretail.com.
Mastectomy fitters certified by the BOC are recognized professionally as having completed education and training that satisfies professional standards. They also must adhere to a code of ethics designed to ensure a comprehensive scope of professional competence and deportment.
The Board of Certification/Accreditation, founded in 1984, offers highly valued credentials in the fields of orthotics and prosthetics and durable medical equipment. BOC offers accreditation for orthotics and prosthetics practices, pharmacies and durable medical equipment suppliers and certifications for orthotic fitters, mastectomy fitters and durable medical equipment specialists.
