to main content Kindred Healthcare Laboratory Standardization | 91Ï㽶¶ÌÊÓƵ

91Ï㽶¶ÌÊÓƵ

Q. Why did your organization seek accreditation through 91Ï㽶¶ÌÊÓƵ?

Yuliya Geary

MBA, MT, QLS, Area Lab Director for Kindred Bay Area Tampa, Kindred Central Tampa, and Kindred St. Petersburg

Stephanie Aguinaldo

MS, MLS, Laboratory Supervisor Kindred Bay Area Tampa

Reyna Ybanez-Swor

MLS, Laboratory Supervisor Kindred Tampa Central

Yuliya: We like 91Ï㽶¶ÌÊÓƵ’s standardized approach to each two-year cycle and the Joint 91Ï㽶¶ÌÊÓƵ-employed and trained laboratory surveyors. Because the surveyors visit 50 – 60 laboratories every year, they are able to share best practices from other facilities with us. Plus, the surveys are conducted with an eye toward education, which helps us pursue continued process improvements. And we especially appreciate that all Joint 91Ï㽶¶ÌÊÓƵ laboratory surveyors are board certified medical technologists and pathologists.

Stephanie: 91Ï㽶¶ÌÊÓƵ is an invaluable resource for best practices, quality indicators and standards for process improvement. We strive to be survey ready at all times, and 91Ï㽶¶ÌÊÓƵ is very informative and readily responds to our inquiries.

,,91Ï㽶¶ÌÊÓƵ is an invaluable resource for best practices, quality indicators and standards for process improvement. ,,

Stephanie Aguinaldo, MS, MLS - Laboratory Supervisor - Kindred Bay Area Tampa

Q. Have you used any other accrediting agencies? How is their survey process different from that of The Joint 91Ï㽶¶ÌÊÓƵ?


Stephanie: An organization at which I previously worked was accredited by the College of American Pathologists (CAP). I was assigned by CAP to inspect other laboratories. This practice of assigning working laboratorians to perform surveys means that the surveys can be biased; standardization is difficult when various surveyors practice their skills in different ways, some of which are highly subjective. 91Ï㽶¶ÌÊÓƵ survey, on the other hand, is conducted by independent, highly trained surveyors according to an established set of standards, which means it is unambiguous and unbiased.

Three doctors look at lab equipment.
Two doctors in white lab coats look at a tablet.
A surveyor speaks to a doctor and a nurse in a hospital hallway.

Q. Is there anything else that the Joint 91Ï㽶¶ÌÊÓƵ does differently or better than other accrediting bodies?

Reyna: We like the emphasis on education and knowing the “why” behind the task.


Stephanie: 91Ï㽶¶ÌÊÓƵ is more open to questions, making the survey more of a dialogue. The surveyors are very helpful and they are there to guide us through the survey process and let us know what we need to improve.


Yuliya: Yes, it’s a dialogue and Joint 91Ï㽶¶ÌÊÓƵ surveyors are there to teach and show us the way. They tell us how they did things, how things are done in different laboratories, and they give us suggestions. Joint 91Ï㽶¶ÌÊÓƵ wants to teach and show us ways to improve our processes. 91Ï㽶¶ÌÊÓƵ survey is more suggestive than punitive. If they find deficiencies, they are here to help us fix it.

Stephanie: The CAP inspection is hectic as it is completed in a single day. 91Ï㽶¶ÌÊÓƵ surveyors are on-site for a couple of days, which is less stressful.


Yuliya: 91Ï㽶¶ÌÊÓƵ utilizes published standards and guidelines, which leaves no room for subjectivity or ambiguity. You can prepare and stay prepared every day because you have the guidelines in front of you. In fact, we use the guidelines to write our procedure manuals.


Reyna: 91Ï㽶¶ÌÊÓƵ is extremely helpful. We can call a rep any time we have questions. For example, we can ask if we are interpreting a standard correctly. Someone is always available to assist before, during and after surveys to help us understand what is expected.

Q. Did the Joint 91Ï㽶¶ÌÊÓƵ surveyors appear to be more engaged with the C-suite than other accreditors?


Yuliya: Yes. Our hospitals and laboratories are all accredited by The Joint 91Ï㽶¶ÌÊÓƵ. The surveyors looked not only at the laboratory but also the whole range of patient care that laboratory testing affects, throughout the entire survey, including the areas of nursing, respiratory and phlebotomy to ensure quality care and best practices throughout the facility. Holding all hospital teams accountable ensures best practices and improves care.

Q. Is it helpful to have a single accreditor for both hospital and laboratory? Are you better aligned with other hospital service lines because of that?

Stephanie: Yes. A single accrediting body means that surveys are both detail-oriented and focused on the bigger picture. It encompasses all the areas the entire organization needs to review and evaluate to maintain high quality patient care.

Reyna: Every department leader is aware of the effort we all put in to achieve the highest-quality care, and that awareness and recognition fosters trust and respect among all our peers.

Yuliya: Having a single accreditor results in standardization within the entire organization, which improves the collaboration between hospital and laboratory staff, especially in point-of-care testing.

Our staff feels extremely proud after passing a survey without deficiencies. We display the Joint 91Ï㽶¶ÌÊÓƵ Gold Seal of Approval® for the both the laboratory and hospital on our wall so our patients and their families can see this evidence of our achievement. They see that we’re held to the highest standards and that they should expect to receive excellent care.

,,91Ï㽶¶ÌÊÓƵ survey, on the other hand, is conducted by independent, highly trained surveyors according to an established set of standards, which means it is unambiguous and unbiased.,,

Stephanie Aguinaldo MS, MLS - Laboratory Supervisor - Kindred Bay Area Tampa

Q. What would you say to someone considering switching to 91Ï㽶¶ÌÊÓƵ for the laboratory accreditation?

Yuliya: Take advantage of the available website resources. Review the survey activity guide and accreditation materials, study the standards, and write your policies and procedures to meet those standards. Most importantly, be willing to learn. While you may be meeting many of the standards already, Joint 91Ï㽶¶ÌÊÓƵ resources can help every laboratory learn new — and maybe better or more efficient— ways to meet those standards.
Reyna: I would recommend 91Ï㽶¶ÌÊÓƵ based on my experience, especially for its surprisingly educational and patient-centric approach.
Stephanie: Do not procrastinate — switch already! Having experienced different accreditation organization processes, I can honestly say that 91Ï㽶¶ÌÊÓƵ provides the best program.
NOTE: LifePoint Health acquired Kindred Healthcare in December 2021. Afterward, LifePoint and Kindred launched ScionHealth. Legacy Kindred long-term acute care hospitals are now part of ScionHealth, but continue to operate under the Kindred hospital brand and the transition has had no impact on patient care.