• Who is involved with this collaboration?
• Why are these organizations collaborating?
• How will you accomplish this goal?
• Will ASCP become an accrediting organization? Will Joint Commission provide proficiency testing? Will API develop educational products?
• What will it cost?
• Why should these organizations collaborate? 
• Will peer-driven laboratory surveys be performed?

Who is involved with this collaboration?
The American Proficiency Institute (API) is a nonprofit corporation providing high quality proficiency testing services to over 11,000 hospital, clinic, and physician office laboratories nationwide, making it one of the largest proficiency testing services in the world.

The American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) is a nonprofit medical specialty society representing 140,000 members, including board certified pathologists, other physicians, clinical scientists, medical technologists and technicians. It is the world's largest organization representing pathology and laboratory medicine. As the leading provider of continuing education for pathologists and medical laboratory personnel, the ASCP enhances the quality of the profession through comprehensive educational programs and publications and self-assessment materials.

The The Joint Commission is an independent, not-for profit organization, and is the nation's predominant standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. The Joint Commission offers expertise in the area of certification and accreditation in the hospital marketplace, evaluating and accrediting nearly 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States, including over 2,500 laboratory organizations involving more than 4,000 CLIA certified laboratories.

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Why are these organizations collaborating?
The Joint Commission, API, and ASCP together will provide an opportunity for its customers to obtain needed survey, proficiency testing, and education products in a one-step, no-hassle fashion.

By providing this opportunity, we hope to enhance the value of accreditation and related services, and - importantly - reduce costs, improve service, provide new and exciting educational opportunities and enhance the breadth of survey expertise for our members and customers.

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How will you accomplish this goal?
We are working on a cooperative agreement among the three organizations to bring the strengths of each organization together to address important issues of quality and efficiency in laboratory performance. 

We are exploring the best approach to providing one-stop shopping in meeting the needs of our members and customers.

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Will ASCP become an accrediting organization? Will Joint Commission provide proficiency testing? Will API develop educational products?
No. We are commencing a cooperative agreement among the three organizations to bring the strengths of each organization together to address important issues of quality and efficiency in laboratory performance.

Laboratories will be able to integrate menu-driven, web-based proficiency testing that meets the Joint Commission accreditation requirements and lessens the time a surveyor spends in your laboratory. Accredited laboratories will have the opportunity to participate in cutting-edge educational programs that are uniquely designed for customer needs. Through this collaborative effort, the expertise of pathologists, medical technologists, skilled surveyors, and an experienced proficiency testing provider will be integrated into both the Joint Commission survey cadre and its advisory structure.

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What will it cost?
It is anticipated that the collaboration will result in reduced costs to laboratories. It is our goal to work toward this end, and introduce other efficiencies into the accreditation process.

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Why should these organizations collaborate?
The Joint Commission, API, and ASCP are all committed to delivering high quality services at the lowest reasonable cost to our members. We can enhance our individual product lines through a collaborative approach.

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Will peer-driven laboratory surveys be performed?
Yes. The laboratory survey team will include professional, well-trained medical technologist surveyors and pathologist specialists.

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