Shannon Clinic Receives Accreditation

The Shannon Clinic Laboratory met all criteria for Laboratory Accreditation by Commission on Office Laboratory Accreditation (COLA), said a press release Wednesday. Accreditation is only given to laboratories that apply rigid standards of quality in day-to-day operations, demonstrate continued accuracy in the performance of proficiency testing, and pass a rigorous on-site laboratory survey.

COLA is a non-profit organization that accredits almost 8,000 medical laboratories. It is approved by the federal government and sponsored by the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Medical Association, and the American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine.

The Accreditation Committee of the College of American Pathologist (CAP) also awarded accreditation to the Shannon Medical Center and Shannon Clinic pathology laboratories based on results of a recent on-site inspection as part of the CAP's Accreditation Programs.

According to the press release, the U.S. federal government recognizes the CAP Laboratory Accreditation Program as being equal-to or more-stringent-than the government's own inspection program. During the CAP accreditation process, designed to ensure the highest  standard of care for all laboratory patients, inspectors examine the laboratory's records and quality control of procedures for the preceding two years. CAP inspectors also examine laboratory staff qualifications, equipment, facilities, safety program and record, and overall management.

CAP is the leading organization with over 18,000 board-certified pathologists. They serve patients, pathologists, and the public by fostering and advocating excellence in the practice of pathology and laboratory medicine worldwide. The CAP's Laboratory Improvement Programs, initiated 65 years ago, currently have customers in more than 100 countries, accrediting 7,700 laboratories and providing proficiency testing to 20,000 laboratories worldwide.

More information can be found at cap.org.