2002

Buffalo, NY, March 25, 2002 - Kaleida Health is pleased to announce that five of its laboratory sites, Center for Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital of Buffalo, DeGraff Memorial Hospital, Millard Fillmore Gates Circle and Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospitals, have received full accreditation from the College of American Pathologists (CAP), for the first time after an intense, voluntary inspection. Buffalo General is already certified.

All of Kaleida's laboratories are now CAP certified.

The CAP is the world's largest organization of pathologists and a leader in providing laboratory quality improvement programs. Widely recognized as the "gold standard," the CAP's Laboratory Inspection and Accreditation Program has served as a model for various federal, state and private laboratory accreditation programs worldwide.

According to Francisco R. Velazquez, M.D., pathologist in chief, and clinical director, pathology and laboratory medicine for Kaleida, a team of 14 inspectors spent two days in February at the four adult sites observing all aspects of laboratory operations, procedures, technology and the work of approximately 250 laboratory employees, and an eight-member pediatric survey team spent a day this month at Children's Hospital.

"This validates what we're here for - providing high quality patient care," Dr. Velazquez noted. "At the summation following the inspection, Dr. Lionelle Wells, who led the CAP team, referred to the Kaleida Laboratories as a high quality laboratory system that had done exceptionally well for its initial survey. They were very impressed with what we had accomplished in the last 18 months."

A readiness team of Kaleida pathologists, managers and staff worked diligently to prepare for the survey. The team will continue its work to keep the laboratories at this high standard.

Larry Zielinski, senior vice president, Home Care and Laboratory Services, called the achievement "a testimony to an outstanding team of laboratory professionals that I am very proud to be associated with."

"I would like to sincerely congratulate all members of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the Children's, DeGraff, Flint Road, Gates and Suburban laboratory sites … It is my privilege to have the opportunity of working with you, not only during this process, but everyday," Dr. Velazquez told staff.

Laboratories accredited by the CAP meet exacting standards set by its Commission on Laboratory Accreditation and approved by the College's Board of Governors. Each laboratory is inspected to make sure it meets those standards and that it uses appropriate quality control and quality assurance procedures to benefit the patients it serves.

According to the CAP, "laboratory services drive 80 percent of clinical decisions from diagnosis through therapy and prognosis." The goal of the College's Laboratory Accreditation Program is to improve the quality of clinical laboratory services and to ensure the accuracy and reliability of test results through an educational and peer review inspection process.