FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program Receives Renewed Authority to Accredit Clinical Laboratories

(CHICAGO) – The Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP) of the American Osteopathic Association received continued approval to accredit clinical laboratories for six more years under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) program. The program is one of six national accreditation programs for clinical laboratories.

Effective through 2015, the continued approval came after a review of HFAP’s accreditation requirements by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to determine the program’s compliance with the CLIA requirements, which were established to ensure quality laboratory testing.

"Once again, the federal government has recognized HFAP as one of the premier accreditation organizations,” said Michael Zarski, CEO of HFAP. “After examining the application, CMS determined that HFAP’s standards for accrediting laboratories are equal to or more stringent than the CLIA program requirements."

The HFAP is a non-profit, nationally recognized accreditation organization. It has been accrediting healthcare facilities for over 60 years and under Medicare since its inception. Its mission is to advance high quality patient care and safety through objective application of recognized standards. More information on the program may be found at www.hfap.org.