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January 30, 2023
Lutheran Hospital of Indiana has been designated a Leading Laboratory, making it the second laboratory in the United States to receive this recognition by ASCP and The Joint Commission.
The first laboratory to receive Leading Laboratory recognition was Torrance Memorial Medical Center in California in 2022.
The Leading Laboratory designation signifies a laboratory has achieved the gold standard for laboratory excellence and made meaningful achievements in improving patient outcomes.
The Leading Laboratory status also serves as proof of a laboratory’s trusted leadership and commitment to the necessary ongoing professional development of its team that is critical to the continued delivery of effective, high-quality care.
“We applaud Lutheran Hospital of Indiana for its investment in the medical laboratory, commitment to patient safety and quality, and dedication to ensuring that its laboratory has the resources it needs to excel in its essential role in the continuum of care across all health care settings,” said ASCP Chief Officer of Medical Quality Ali Brown, MD, FASCP.
The Leading Laboratories program, announced by ASCP and The Joint Commission in 2021, was developed and refined by laboratory leaders. The designation is accomplished through a set of criteria designed to quantify and exhibit the capability of a given laboratory to achieve high quality outcomes, assure professional development, engage in trusted leadership and earn laboratory visibility.
In its application, Lutheran Hospital of Indiana demonstrated high-value initiatives such as promoting laboratory visibility to its patients and the community through strategies such a having their phlebotomists provide cards to patients with links to videos about the hospital laboratory, testing information, and a patient satisfaction survey. They highlighted their proactive leadership through innovative staffing models. They also demonstrated their investment in the future workforce by creating and sustaining relationships to invest in future laboratory professionals, including volunteering, career shadowing, and clinical training opportunities.
“The Leading Laboratory program serves as a model and roadmap to help laboratories on their journey to achieve this designation,” Dr. Brown says. “The Leading Laboratories program supports ASCP’s and The Joint Commission’s shared mission of patient safety and quality, while providing another way to confirm their essential role in the continuum of care across all health care settings.”
The Leading Laboratories recognition is available to all Joint Commission-accredited hospital laboratories. To learn more about the program, please visit leadinglaboratories.org.
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