Mayo Clinic Health System’s Austin laboratory has been awarded accreditation by the College of American Pathologists based on the results of a recent on-site inspection.

Accreditation is given only to laboratories that apply rigid standards of quality in day-to-day operations, demonstrate continued accuracy in the performance of proficiency testing and pass a rigorous on-site laboratory survey.

During the accreditation process, inspectors examine the laboratory’s records and quality control of procedures for the preceding two years. CAP 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.

The CAP Laboratory Accreditation Program began in the early 1960s and is recognized by the federal government as being equal to or more stringent than the government’s own inspection program. Austin’s laboratory has been accredited by CAP since 1987.