COLA Inc., a physician-directed organization whose purpose is to promote health and safety through accreditation and educational programs, is proud to announce that the California Department of Public Health, Laboratory Field Services has recently granted COLA the authority to deem California clinical laboratories to be in compliance with California law for the specialty of Pathology, including the subspecialties of Histopathology, Cytology and Oral Pathology. COLA’s deeming authority in California for pathology laboratories is effective September 8, 2022.
“COLA received deemed status for Pathology from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in March 2022. With the approval of our Pathology accreditation in California, we are looking forward to serving a growing number of hospitals, pathology groups and specialists with our comprehensive accreditation program,” said Nancy Stratton, CEO of COLA. “COLA will continue to provide superior service, with emphasis on high-quality patient results, to a larger number of laboratories than ever before.”
COLA has a team of subject matter experts and resources in Pathology, including David Chhieng, MD, MBA, MSHI, MSEM, MLS, COLA’s Chief Medical Officer, and Kathy Wilson, HT(ASCP)QLS, COLA’s Director of Pathology Accreditation.