It was a good spring for the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory at UNMC. In May, the laboratory received accreditation by the College of American Pathologists (CAP) while also garnering two awards at the annual conference.
Peter Iwen, PhD, director of the NPHL, applauded the work of his laboratory staff as the laboratory received accreditation to the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory.
The CAP is the world’s largest organization of board-certified pathologists and leading provider of laboratory accreditation and proficiency testing programs.
“Accreditation by the CAP verifies that the laboratory meets the best possible standards to achieve diagnostic confidence and recognizes the laboratory for excellence as a quality laboratory by peers,” Dr. Iwen said, adding that the lab staff’s “daily adherence to the rigorous standards” of the ACP made the accreditation possible.
The accreditation is based on results of a recent on-site inspection as part of the CAPS’s accreditation programming. During the process, inspectors examined the laboratory’s records and quality control of procedures. CAP inspectors also examined laboratory staff qualification, equipment, facilities, safety program records and overall management.
The NPHL is one of more than 8,000 CAP-accredited facilities worldwide.
Members of the NPHL also were honored on May 24 during the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) annual conference in Sacramento, California. The lab received the following national awards:
Emily McCutchen, manager for the NPHL, was awarded the Emerging Leader Award, which recognizes an individual whose leadership has been instrumental in one or more advances in laboratory science, practice, management, policy or education early in their career.
The NPHL also was honored with the Healthiest Laboratory Award, which recognizes an APHL member laboratory that is committed to safety, environmental process, environmental policy and employee health and wellness.
Funds received as a part of this award will be used as partial support for memberships to access the Heartland Bike Share program on the UNMC campus.