Columbia-based COLA has published the latest version of its Laboratory Accreditation Manual. COLA laboratories and COLA surveyors apply the criteria in the Laboratory Accreditation Manual to assess compliance; COLA accredits laboratories that are in compliance with the COLA criteria and these laboratories are recognized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) as meeting the regulatory requirements of Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments.

The COLA accreditation program is educationally oriented. COLA’s mission is to help physicians, clinical laboratory professionals and health care staff to operate accurate and efficient laboratories. Updates to the 2020 COLA Laboratory Accreditation Manual include new criteria in the areas of Immunohematology, Transfusion Services and Mass Spectrometry, as well as numerous revisions to existing COLA criteria.