Exceptional Community Hospital in Maricopa has met all the criteria for Laboratory Accreditation by COLA, a leading national laboratory accreditor whose program and standards enable clinical laboratories and staff to meet U.S. Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act and other regulatory requirements.

Through a mentoring approach using education to improve quality and patient safety, accreditation is given to laboratories that apply the highest standards of quality in day-to-day operations, demonstrate continued accuracy in the performance of proficiency testing and pass a rigorous onsite laboratory survey. Exceptional Community Hospital has earned COLA accreditation to continue providing quality service to the patients in Maricopa.

“We are incredibly proud of Exceptional Community Hospital in Maricopa for achieving Laboratory Accreditation by COLA,” said Bob Cardenas, Arizona market CEO for Exceptional Healthcare. “This accreditation underscores our unwavering commitment to providing the highest quality care to our community.

“It reflects the dedication and hard work of our entire team in maintaining excellence in laboratory services, ensuring patient safety and upholding the standards of healthcare that our patients expect and deserve.”

COLA is a physician-directed organization whose purpose is to promote health and safety through accreditation and educational programs. In 1993, COLA was granted deemed status by CMS to provide laboratory accreditation. As a leading laboratory accreditor in the U.S., COLA operates its laboratory accreditation program in accordance with a certified quality management system.

Laboratories of all types and sizes are evaluated and mentored to produce the highest quality laboratory services and meet CLIA regulations.

COLA’s Board of Directors consists of representatives from three founding member organizations: the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American College of Physicians.