CentraState Medical Center has been awarded accreditation by the College of American Pathologists (CAP) with zero deficiencies. The College of American Pathologists is the world’s largest association composed entirely of pathologists and is widely considered the leader in laboratory quality assurance.
For the two years prior to accreditation, CAP inspectors performed on-site examinations of CentraState’s records and quality control procedures of its laboratory, the qualifications of its entire staff, the laboratory’s equipment, facilities, safety program and record, and the overall management of the laboratory to ensure high-quality, cost-effective care. With this recognition, CentraState Medical Center’s laboratory joins the prestigious ranks of CAP-accredited facilities worldwide.
There are approximately 2,500 standards that laboratories must meet. A deficiency is given when a standard is not met. Based on the sheer volume of standards, to have no deficiencies is exceptional.
“We are extremely proud of our performance,” says Paul Simon, DO, a board-certified anatomic and clinical pathologist, and medical director of the Pathology Department at CentraState Medical Center. The CAP Laboratory Accreditation Program is recognized by the federal government as being equal to or more stringent than the government’s own inspection program, which is why the government contracts CAP for this purpose. “Although preparation for a CAP inspection, which occurs every two years, takes months of hard work by numerous laboratorians, it is the continuous, daily commitment to patient safety and quality that sets a lab like CentraState, with no deficiencies, apart.”
For more information about CentraState’s laboratory services, visit centrastate.com or call 866-CENTRA7.
About CentraState
CentraState Healthcare System is a nonprofit community health organization consisting of an acute-care hospital, a health and wellness campus, three senior living communities, a Family Medicine Residency Program, and a charitable foundation. CentraState’s teaching program is sponsored by Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
About the College of American Pathologists
As the world’s largest organization of board-certified pathologists and leading provider of laboratory accreditation and proficiency testing programs, the College of American Pathologists (CAP) serves patients, pathologists, and the public by fostering and advocating excellence in the practice of pathology and laboratory medicine worldwide. For more information, read the CAP Annual Report at cap.org.