Wilkes Medical Center Receives Accreditation From The College of American Pathologists

January 21, 2021

 Wilkes Medical Center Receives Accreditation From The College of American Pathologists
Pictured L to R:  Penny Whisenant, Blood Bank - Lead Tech, Joanna Van Noy, MD, Laboratory Medical Director, Heather Cannon, Hematology and Coag. - Lead Tech

Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Wilkes Medical Center’s Core Laboratory has received accreditation from the College of American Pathologists (CAP), the world’s largest organization of board-certified pathologists and a leading provider of laboratory accreditation programs.

Hospital laboratories play an essential role in accurately diagnosing diseases and other medical conditions, and they provide proper guidance for clinical doctors in determining the most appropriate and effective treatments for their patients.

The lab at Wilkes Medical Center performs a multitude of services for both inpatients and outpatients, from bedside glucose monitoring to diagnostic tissue biopsy analysis.

“I am grateful for our excellent team of laboratory professionals here at Wilkes Medical Center, as well as for the support we receive from our teammates throughout the organization,” said Joanna W. Van Noy, M.D., director of the lab. “Everyone’s hard work and dedication makes this level of accomplishment possible and ensures we offer the best possible care to our patients every day.”

Hospital labs are required to meet strict standards to verify that they are providing safe and reliable test results and services for their patients. Laboratory accreditation is the process by which this verification is achieved.

The CAP is considered to be the most rigorous choice for lab accreditation, commonly exceeding the standards of state and federal agencies, such as CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments), FDA and OSHA.

Wilkes Medical Center’s Core Laboratory is one of more than 8,000 CAP-accredited facilities worldwide.