COLA, a national laboratory accreditor dedicated to promoting health and safety through accreditation and education, announces Nirali M. Patel, MD, has been elected to its Board of Directors. Dr. Patel joins COLA’s board of prominent professionals appointed by the American Medical Association (AMA), American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and the American College of Physicians (ACP).
Serving as a board-elected director, Dr. Patel is the Laboratory Director and Director of Molecular Pathology at Tempus, a precision medicine company, where she is involved in oversight of clinical oncology testing.
Board-certified in Anatomic, Clinical, and Molecular Genetic Pathology, Dr. Patel completed her AP/CP residency at the University of Chicago (NorthShore), followed by a fellowship at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. Active in organized medicine, Dr. Patel has held numerous leadership positions, including serving as a current member of the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Advisory Committee (CLIAC) and previously serving on the Board of Directors for the Association of Molecular Pathology.
“I am honored to have Dr. Patel join COLA’s Board of Directors,” said William E. Kobler, MD, Board Chair. “Her experience as a laboratory director and advanced training in molecular pathology will help COLA continue to grow our Pathology Accreditation program so that it delivers the best value to our customers. I look forward to her contributions, which will ensure that COLA continues to make a positive impact on clinical laboratories and quality patient care.”