The Taylor Health and Wellness Center Laboratory at Missouri State University was awarded the prestigious “Laboratory Excellence Award” by the Commission on Office Laboratory Accreditation (COLA), a national healthcare accreditation organization. The laboratory received the award for its outstanding performance in quality patient care and overall exemplary application of the principles of laboratory practices.

“It is a tremendous honor for the staff of Taylor Health and Wellness Center to receive the award, which was earned as a result of a demonstrated long-term commitment to provide quality services to our patients,” said Burnie Snodgrass, director of Taylor Health and Wellness. “Federal law requires that all medical laboratories be inspected by COLA, but less than 3 percent nationally receive the Laboratory Excellence Award.”

The honor is the highest commendation that COLA awards, given only to those health care facilities that receive a perfect accreditation survey. To meet the requirements, laboratories must be compliant with all COLA required criteria for laboratory accreditation during their on-site survey, demonstrate successful proficiency testing during their three previous testing events and have no valid complaints against the laboratory.

“Taylor Health and Wellness Center’s Medical Laboratory has an excellent staff of professional medical technologists and a medical director that perform a wide range of laboratory testing, ordered by Taylor Health’s medical staff or community providers for members of the university community,” Snodgrass said. “The center is the medical home for the university, serving students, faculty, staff, retirees, visitors and their household members.”

COLA is a nonprofit, physician-directed organization promoting excellence in laboratory medicine and patient care through a program of voluntary education, consultation and accreditation.

COLA is approved by the federal government and sponsored by the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Medical Association, the American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine and the American Osteopathic Association.

For more information, contact Snodgrass at (417) 836-4040.

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Filed Under: snodgrass · Taylor Health