SCC and Accreditation Canada join forces to offer health care and medical laboratory communities accreditation to ISO15189

OTTAWA, March 13, 2013 /CNW/ - The Standards Council of Canada (SCC) and Accreditation Canada are pleased to announce that they will offer Canada's health care and medical laboratory communities accreditation to ISO 15189. Together, they have the ability and capacity to provide accreditation to this international standard. Improving patient safety through traceability of all laboratory procedures, and making a commitment to producing dependable and impartial results are key benefits of accreditation.

SCC and Accreditation Canada signed a Memorandum of Understanding in December of last year to collaborate on best practices to renew confidence and enhance credibility in medical testing in Canada.  Accreditation to ISO 15189 will ensure global acceptance of medical laboratories.

"By offering this accreditation, SCC and Accreditation Canada are further demonstrating their commitment toward helping health care and medical laboratories ensure quality service to all Canadians," says SCC's Chief Executive Officer John Walter.  "The ability to adopt internationally accepted practices will only strengthen medical laboratory testing in Canada."

"Bringing ISO to the accreditation of medical laboratories will be a strong complement to our programs at Accreditation Canada," says Wendy Nicklin, President and CEO, Accreditation Canada.  "Offering this international best practice is a new and important direction; another way in which we can continue to support improved quality and safety in health care organizations across Canada."

Accreditation Canada is an independent, not-for-profit, organization that provides health services organizations across Canada and internationally with a rigorous and comprehensive accreditation process.  It fosters ongoing quality improvement based on evidence-based standards and external peer review.  Accredited by the International Society for Quality in Health Care, Accreditation Canada has helped organizations strive for excellence for more than 50 years.

SCC is a Crown corporation and a portfolio of Industry Canada.  With the goal of enhancing Canada's economic competitiveness and social well-being, SCC offers accreditation services to both standards development bodies, and conformity assessment organizations.  SCC provides services to over 500 customers in the area of conformity assessment, including various testing and calibration laboratories.  Its accreditation programs are based on internationally recognized standards and guides.  SCC is a signatory and full member of the Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC) and International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC).  For additional information on the SCC visit www.scc.ca or send any inquiries to [email protected].

SOURCE: Standards Council of Canada

Media contact:

Antonia Kusy
Manager, Corporate Communications and Planning
613-238-3222 ext. 462
[email protected]

Accreditation Canada:
Gail Williams
Manager, Market Communications
Accreditation Canada
613 738 3800 ext. 341
[email protected]