Rockdale Medical Center's laboratories recently earned the Gold Seal of Approval for Laboratory Accreditation by The Joint Commission - a symbol of quality that reflects a hospital's commitment to providing safe and effective patient care.

"Rockdale Medical Center is pleased to receive accreditation from The Joint Commission, the premier health care quality improvement and accrediting body in the nation," said Deborah Armstrong, CEO of Rockdale Medical Center. "Being accredited means we are focused on continual performance improvement. Pathologists and other laboratory staff are working together to develop and implement approaches and strategies that have the potential to improve care for the patients in our community."

Rockdale Medical Center underwent a rigorous, unannounced on-site survey in April 2014. During the review, a team of Joint Commission expert surveyors evaluated compliance with laboratory standards related to several areas, including document and process control, health care-associated conditions, risk reduction, and staff education. Surveyors also conducted on-site observations and interviews.

The Joint Commission has accredited hospital laboratory services since 1979, and freestanding laboratories since 1995. Almost 2,000 organizations, including laboratories in hospitals, reference labs, blood transfusion and donor centers, public health laboratories, and point-of-care test sites currently maintain Laboratory Accreditation from The Joint Commission, awarded for a two-year cycle.

"We commend Rockdale Medical Center for its efforts to have laboratory services contribute and support the overall health care delivery system," said Chad Larson, M.B.A., interim executive director of the Laboratory Accreditation Program at The Joint Commission. "Joint Commission accreditation gives laboratories the processes needed to improve in a variety of areas from specimen collection to result reporting."

The Joint Commission's laboratory standards are developed in consultation with health care experts and providers, measurement experts, and patients. The standards are informed by scientific literature and expert consensus to help organizations measure, assess and improve performance.

To learn more about the Laboratory Accreditation Program, go to www.jointcommission.org/accreditation/laboratory.aspx