The Joint Commission announces a new change to its laboratory and hospital accreditation policy beginning January 1, 2009.
Laboratory accreditation decisions rendered by The Joint Commission or one of its cooperative partners, College of American Pathologists or COLA, will no longer immediately impact hospital accreditation decisions.
Under current regulation, adverse laboratory accreditation directly affects the accreditation status of hospitals and other related organizations.
The accreditation of laboratories and hospitals will continue to be linked, however. An adverse laboratory accreditation decision, for example, may prompt the next unannounced survey for any affiliated hospital or organization.
