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Franklin Medical Center Laboratories Receive Accreditation

GREENFIELD — Franklin Medical Center’s main laboratory and the arterial blood gas laboratory in the hospital’s Cardiopulmonary Department have both received accreditation by the Commission on Laboratory Accreditation of the College of American Pathologists (CAP), based on the results of recent on-site inspections.

Virginia Blake, laboratory manager, and Jane McKay, manager of Cardiopul-monary, were advised of this national recognition and were congratulated for the “excellence of the services being provided.”

During the CAP accreditation process, inspectors examine the laboratories’ records and quality control of procedures for the preceding two years. Inspectors also examine the entire staff’s qualifications, laboratory equipment, facilities, safety program and record, and the overall management of the laboratories. The stringent inspection program is designed to ensure the highest standard of care for the laboratories’ patients.

“Jane and I are, of course, pleased to have received accreditation again, and we congratulate the whole team here for their efforts to continually meet the strict standards CAP sets up,” Blake said. McKay added, “I have confidence in our team’s commitment to meeting or exceeding the requirements of CAP. We strive to constantly maintain the highest standard of care here, and are proud of our excellent record.”

Franklin Medical Center’s main lab and blood gas lab are two of more than 6,000 CAP-accredited labs nationwide. They serve both FMC’s inpatient and outpatient population, providing tests for conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, as well as hundreds of other tests that aid physicians in diagnosing, monitoring, and preventing disease.

For information about Laboratory Services or other Franklin Medical Center programs and services, contact the Professionals at Franklin Medical Center at (413) 773-8557 or, if calling from outside the area, (800) 377-HEALTH. Calls are answered Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., and on weekends and holidays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.