MT. VERNON – The Accreditation Committee of the College of American Pathologists (CAP) has awarded a two year accreditation to SSM Health Good Samaritan Hospital and St. Mary’s Hospital based on the results of a recent on-site inspection as part of the CAP’s Accreditation Programs. Recognized for rigorous and robust standards, CAP accreditation elevates quality and mitigates risk, an important way that laboratories can contribute to improved patient outcomes.

Laboratory Managers, Barbara Scroggins and Carol Koehler, were advised of this global recognition and congratulated for the excellence of the services being provided. The laboratories at SSM Health Good Samaritan Hospital and St. Mary’s Hospital are two of more than 8,000 CAP-accredited facilities worldwide.

“I want to thank the entire Laboratory staff on the hugely successful outcome of the CAP inspection,” said David J. Eisenstein, MD, FCAP, with SSM Health SLUCare Physician Group and Medical Director of Laboratories for SSM Heath in Southern Illinois. “They have more than proven that they are at the top of our field of Laboratory Medicine, that they are engaged in “best practices,” and that they are dedicated to the highest quality standards. I appreciate all of them and the hard work they put into their jobs each and every day.”

During the CAP accreditation process, designed to ensure the highest standard of care for all laboratory patients, inspectors examine the laboratory’s records and quality control of procedures. CAP inspectors also examine laboratory staff qualifications, equipment, facilities, safety program and record, and overall management. These reviews help verify activities and reflect the most recent best practices.

“The CAP congratulates SSM Health on its recent CAP Accreditation,” said, Richard M. Scanlan, MD, FCAP, chair of the CAP’s Council on Accreditation. “The laboratories at Good Samaritan and St. Mary’s Hospital are committed, as is the CAP, to the constant surveillance of laboratory quality for the benefit of the patient and the physician who treats the patient.”

With over 23,000 laboratory participants, in addition to accreditation, the CAP offers proficiency testing/external quality assessment (PT/EQA) programs, quality improvement tools, and protocols and guidelines to ensure excellence in all areas across the laboratory. Built on a foundation of pathologist expertise, the College of American Pathologists (CAP) partners with laboratories worldwide to elevate the quality of laboratory medicine with best-in-class solutions designed to drive operational excellence, achieve diagnostic confidence, and ensure the best patient care.