BRMC Laboratory and Respiratory Therapy Programs Receive Accreditation

The Commission on Laboratory Accreditation of the College of American Pathologists (CAP) has notified the Main Laboratory and Respiratory Therapy Laboratory at Bluefield Regional Medical Center of their accreditation. The award follows an intense examination of the programs at a recent on-site inspection by the CAP.

Respiratory Therapy Director Bob Bageant and Laboratory Technical Director Vickie Cunningham were each notified of the award of national accreditation by the CAP, and congratulated for the "excellence of the services being provided."

"We feel participation in the program insures that our laboratory is keeping up with the latest changes in quality clinical laboratory practices," said Dr. Stephen Poolis, M.D., Chief of Pathology. "Laboratories are required by law to be accredited, and CAP is one of the more dynamic of those few certifying organizations," he said.

Laboratory director Vickie Cunningham said she is very appreciative of the hard work, dedication and extra time put in by laboratory employees to prepare for the inspection, which is a rigorous exercise.

Addressing the Respiratory Therapy lab's accreditation, George Fischer, the supervisor of the Blood Gas Laboratory commented that, "the arterial blood gas services, which are the main tests in our lab, play a vital role in the diagnosis and treatment of patients suffering with chronic lung disease and asthma. Our lab processes about 700 blood gas tests each year," he said.

The inspectors examine the records of quality control of the laboratories for the preceding two years, as well as the education and qualifications of the staffs, the adequacy of the facilities, the equipment, safety factors and management to determine how well the patient is being served.

The CAP is the largest association composed exclusively of pathologists and is widely considered the leader in laboratory quality assurance. The federal government recognizes the organization as being equal to or more stringent than the government's own inspection program. The CAP accredits more that 6,000 such programs nation-wide.