Morrill County Community Hospital is First CAH Lab to Achieve Leading Laboratory Designation

Morrill County Community Hospital in Bridgeport, Nebraska has been designated a Leading Laboratory, making it the first Critical Access Hospital (CAH) in the United States, and the first hospital laboratory in the State to receive this designation.  

The Leading Laboratory designation signifies a laboratory has achieved the gold standard for laboratory excellence and made meaningful achievements in improving patient outcomes.

In its application, Morrill County Community Hospital demonstrated high-value community care through long-term intentional systems building, implementation, and refinement. Their talent management cycle prioritizes and invests in their team members, retaining them through mentorship, training, and a culture of accountability and teamwork. 

“The Leading Laboratory designation reflects the dedication, teamwork, and most importantly the shared respect and commitment of our patient-centered community laboratory and our hospital team. Working together, we provide safe, high-quality care to the rural communities and patients we serve,” shares Rex F. Famitangco, MSc, MASCP, MLS(ASCP)^CM QLCCM, LPH-C, IFBA PC, RBP(ABSA), Director of Laboratory Services for Morrill County Community Hospital. 

Mr. Famitangco continued, sharing that, “Being a ‘Leading Lab’ isn’t defined by your geographical location, size, budget, or the number of team members. It means consistently showing up for your patients, even if your resources as a CAH are very limited or your budget is tight.” He also shared how his experience on ASCP’s Global Health Steering Committee informs his work at a critical access hospital, noting that if his medical center has certain resource limitations, he considers what a resource-limited country does to address those limitations.

The Leading Laboratories program launched in 2021, serving as a model and roadmap to help laboratories on their journey to achieve this designation. The program, created and refined with laboratory leaders, outlines the criteria each laboratory must quantify and demonstrate in their application. The program is coordinated by ASCP to support their mission of patient safety and quality, while providing another opportunity to build awareness of laboratories’ essential role in the continuum of care across all health care settings.

To learn more about the program, please visit leadinglaboratories.org.