Apr 2, 2014 | Compliance, Legal, and Malpractice, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Management & Operations, News From Dark Daily
NEWS UPDATE: American Association of Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) is given four-year authority to accredit clinical laboratories to CLIA requirements for all specialty and subspecialty lab test areas
There’s a new Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services-approved (CMS) accrediting organization for clinical laboratories. Medicare officials granted deeming status for Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) to the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA). The approval marks the first time in two decades that CMS has added a new organization to accredit medical laboratories under CLIA.
CMS announced the approval in a notice published March 25 in the Federal Register. CMS approved A2LA’s application as an accreditation organization for clinical laboratories under CLIA for all specialty and subspecialty areas for four years. “We have determined that the A2LA meets or exceeds the applicable CLIA requirements,” stated the CMS announcement. (more…)
Aug 31, 2011 | Laboratory Hiring & Human Resources, Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology
In Connecticut and California, there are two medical technologists who have each put in 50 years on the job in their respective hospital laboratories
On opposite coasts of the United States, two medical technologists (MT) were each recognized by local newspapers for more than 50 years of service in clinical laboratories in their respective communities! As members of what is often called the “Greatest Generation”, these two long-serving med techs have much to teach the three younger generations now working in the nation’s medical laboratories.
For the last 51 years, Sandra Allard has worked in the laboratory at Waterbury Hospital, in Waterbury, Connecticut. The 69-year-old typically works in the blood bank, but pulls one night a week in chemistry, according to an article published by the Republican-American, a newspaper in Waterbury. Jeffrey Pinco, M.D., the Medical Director of the hospital laboratory, described Allard as an employee who cares about the hospital’s patients and brings old-fashioned values to her job. (more…)
Oct 22, 2010 | Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology, News From Dark Daily
Pathologists and medical laboratory managers should be alert to compliance changes
CLIA inspections of medical laboratories may be getting more rigorous in certain areas of laboratory operations, according to anecdotal information emerging from the field. Clinical laboratory management consulting firms report that they are experiencing an increased number requests for help from hospitals following a recent CLIA inspection of their laboratories.
Laboratory management consultants tell Dark Daily that, for the most part, well-run medical laboratories are having few problems when CLIA inspectors show up on site. Because these laboratories are diligent about compliance with legal requirements, the CLIA inspection seldom turns up a serious deficiency nor identifies a major compliance failure within the laboratory.
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