The College of American Pathologists (CAP) has once again awarded accreditation to the Kent Hospital laboratory and Wickford Junction laboratory based on results of a recent on-site inspection as part of the CAP’s accreditation programs. This is a two-year accreditation.

Kent Hospital was advised of this national recognition and commended for the excellence of service provided. The Kent Hospital laboratory is one of more than 7,600 CAP-accredited facilities worldwide, and performs more than 1.5 million tests annually.

“We are very pleased to maintain our CAP accreditation here at Kent Hospital,” said Michael Dacey, president and COO, Kent Hospital. “The laboratory clinical leadership and dedicated staff work extremely hard to achieve the highest standards for our patients and to provide the excellence of care they deserve. Meeting and exceeding these rigorous standards is an important achievement we continually strive towards.”

The U.S. federal government recognizes the CAP Laboratory Accreditation Program, begun in the early 1960s as being equal – to or more-stringent – than the government’s own inspection program.

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 for the preceding two years. CAP inspectors also examine laboratory staff qualifications, equipment, facilities, safety program and record and overall management.

The College of American Pathologists (CAP), celebrating more than 50 years as the gold standard in laboratory accreditation, is a medical society that serves more than 18,000 physician members and the global laboratory community. It is the world’s largest association comprised exclusively of board-certified pathologists and is the worldwide leader in laboratory quality assurance. The college advocates accountable, high-quality and cost-effective patient care. More information about the CAP can be found at www.cap.org.