Dixie Regional Medical Center Respiratory Therapy has been awarded accreditation by the Commission on Laboratory Accreditation of the College of American Pathologists (CAP), based on the results of a recent on-site inspection.

"We were pleased receive the notification of accreditation," said Scott Daniel, director of respiratory therapy at the hospital. "The notification letter was very complimentary, congratulating us on the excellence of the services we provide."

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

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

The College of American Pathologists, with nearly 16,000 physician members, is the world's largest association composed exclusively of pathologists and is widely considered the leader in laboratory quality assurance.