Holyoke Medical Center Accredited by College of American Pathologists

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Medical Center (HMC) has once again been awarded accreditation from the accreditation committee of the College of American Pathologists (CAP). The accreditation was awarded to HMC based on results of a recent on-site inspection as part of CAP’s accreditation programs.

“We are pleased to receive this national accreditation, which reflects the dedicated commitment of our laboratory professionals to strict quality control. Patients rely on the quality and accuracy of our test results, and we strive to continually improve these critical services,” said Spiros Hatiras, the hospital’s president and CEO.

Holyoke Medical Center laboratory professionals perform more than 1 million tests annually in anatomic pathology, clinical chemistry, cytology, hematology, immunology, microbiology, and transfusion medicine. The federal government recognizes the CAP laboratory-accreditation pogram, begun in the early 1960s, as being equal to, if not 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.

Holyoke Medical Center has been accredited by CAP since 1980 and is one of more than 7,600 CAP-accredited facilities worldwide.