Published: June 30, 2003

The University of Colorado at Boulder's Wardenburg Health Center has been awarded laboratory accreditation by the College of American Pathologists, based on the results of a recent on-site inspection.

The center's laboratory director, Dr. Thomas Kunstman, was congratulated by the medical society's Commission on Laboratory Accreditation for the "excellence of the services being provided."

The CAP Laboratory Accreditation Program, which started in the early 1960s, is recognized by the federal government as being equal to or more stringent than the government's own inspection program. The Wardenburg Health Center is one of more than 6,000 CAP-accredited laboratories nationwide.

During the CAP accreditation process, inspectors examine the laboratory's records and quality control procedures for the preceding two years. CAP inspectors also examine all staff qualifications, laboratory equipment, facilities, safety program and record, as well as the overall management of the laboratory. The stringent inspection program is designed to ensure the highest standard of care for the laboratory's patients.

The College of American Pathologists is a medical society serving nearly 16,000 physician members and laboratories throughout the world. It is the world's largest association composed exclusively of pathologists and is widely considered the leader in laboratory quality assurance.