BHB Pathology Department maintains accreditation

Monday 12 July 2021: The Pathology Department at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital has once more maintained specialised laboratory accreditation with the Joint Commission International (JCI). Accreditation is assessment of patient safety and quality standards. This is Pathology’s sixth JCI survey, which it has successfully achieved each time since 2006.

The Pathology Department at KEMH includes the laboratory areas that do diagnostic testing, from blood and urine to biopsies, the morgue, transfusion services, including the Bermuda Blood Donor Centre, and the phlebotomy staff who draw blood.

This is the first time the accreditation process has been completed remotely for Pathology, due to the pandemic, but this did not diminish its rigor. The survey was carried out in mid-May.

Danee Swan, Quality Manager in Pathology, comments: “The survey was carried out remotely, but was still intense and rigorous. We had to give two detailed presentations to our surveyor and sent a lot of advance documentation. During the survey week, surveyor requested specific tests from specific dates and trace processes, staff competencies and patient results. This was an extremely demanding process that traced tests from the patient – whether in an inpatient bed or outpatient lab – to the delivery of results. We are very pleased to have been awarded accreditation status.”

Kathy Stephens, Pathology Manager, comments: “We are accredited by Accreditation Canada as part of the hospital-wide process, but Pathology has also sought specialised laboratory accreditation with JCI since 2006, and we have successfully achieved it every three years since then. It is a testament to Pathology’s ongoing pursuit of excellence, ensuring we follow the highest patient safety and quality standards.”

Dr Clyde Wilson, Chief of Pathology, comments: “I would like to thank and congratulate the Pathology staff who work tirelessly every day to meet the highest standards to ensure our tests are accurate and timely. Through the year we have had to adapt constantly to the changing restrictions of the pandemic as the surges have come and gone and included new testing for COVID-19. We undertake about 3.5 million tests a year in the lab, but every one is significant to the individual patient, and at the heart of accreditation is our focus on patient care, doing the best we can for the people who need answers about their health.”

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