Clinical laboratory accreditation firm COLA has been recertified as meeting high “Quality Management System” standards established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).COLA’s recertification, which comes from ISO registrar British Standards Institute (BSI), covers COLA’s delivery and administration of its CLIA-equivalent accreditation program for medical laboratories, including on-site surveys, monitoring proficiency testing, and correcting citations through education and consultation.
ISO 9001:2008 sets standards for a quality management system where an organization must demonstrate its ability to consistently provide products or services that meet customer needs and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements. It also aims to enhance customer satisfaction by offering a process for continual improvement, as well as by assuring conformity to customer, statutory and regulatory requirements.
The company earned its original ISO designation in 2011 after an extensive audit that included over 20 hours of the BSI auditor observing how COLA’s team members perform their work. The recertification process entailed another thorough review of COLA’s key management and accreditation processes, including observing COLA surveyors in action; reviewing enrollment process records; monitoring proficiency testing; and observing how the accreditor confirms correction of deficiencies noted during on-site surveys. Learn more about COLA.
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