Laboratories accredited by COLA not only meet federal CLIA and state regulatory requirements but also benefit from COLA’s educational approach to accreditation.
Each step in the accreditation process is an opportunity to gather the information you need to improve quality in your laboratory practice. Along the way, we provide tools that will help you document and maintain compliance with COLA requirements.
Key staff members will be enrolled in COLAcentral, COLA’s on-line customer portal, which will be used to communicate with COLA and monitor your lab’s accreditation status. COLAcentral includes many helpful tools to assist you with meeting COLA requirements.
Laboratories can then make the improvements needed in preparation for the on-site survey.
If non-compliant criteria are identified:
COLA provides educational materials and technical, hands-on consultation, support and advice to the lab at no cost. Labs then develop and implement a corrective plan, providing COLA with appropriate documentation.
COLA follows lab performance on a continuing basis, including monitoring proficiency testing.
Laboratory can use COLAcentral to help them stay in daily (rather than biennial) compliance with CLIA and COLA quality requirements and all appropriate state licensure standards.
COLA’s Technical Advisors help laboratories work to achieve a culture of quality throughout the two-year survey cycle.
