NORTHFIELD, Ill. (October 14, 2024) — The Joint Pathology Center (JPC) has successfully completed an assessment to the ISO 15189:2022 version, which emphasizes risk-based thinking and patient safety. This achievement underscores JPC’s commitment to delivering high-quality, multidisciplinary pathology consultation services and expanding the nation’s oldest tissue repository to support biomedical research.
“Providing comprehensive, high-quality secondary pathology consultations to the military and VA health care systems is one of our top priorities,” said JPC Director Colonel Mark D. Lyman, MD, FCAP. “As a federal medical institution, we constantly face changes and risks. Being a CAP 15189-accredited laboratory helps us fulfill our mission.”
The JPC’s compliance with CAP 15189 accreditation standards facilitated a smooth transition from the ISO 15189:2012 version to the ISO 15189:2022 version. CAP 15189 accreditation standards help laboratories develop a quality management system with greater visibility, control, and quality improvement that ultimately leads to better patient care. The CAP conducted an onsite surveillance visit on October 2 to assess the JPC against the new standard.
The updated version focuses on risk-based thinking rather than just risk management. “This approach aligns with our dedication to understanding not only the risks inherent in day-to-day activities but also addressing potential future harm,” Col. Lyman said.
This risk-based approach empowers pathologists and laboratory leaders to better control conditions and outcomes by identifying early warning signs of risks and issues, said CAP President Donald Karcher, MD, FCAP. “The CAP 15189 sets a high standard for laboratories in terms of safety and quality,” he added.
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, visit the CAP Newsroom, CAP.org and yourpathologist.org to watch pathologists at work and see the stories of the patients who trust them with their care.
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