Hospital Making Laboratory Improvements

Mar 18, 2022

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William Newton Hospital has been making numerous process improvements in its clinical laboratory. The lab underwent a full review from its licensing body CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) in the summer of 2021. Several recommendations were made, and the team has been working with the experienced A & J Laboratory Consulting firm to implement changes.

“After this full review, our lab team has made tremendous improvements mainly having to do with policies, documentation, and staffing,” said William Newton Hospital CEO Ben Quinton. “It is important to note these changes are mostly clerical. Not a single patient has been harmed, nor have any bad outcomes occurred.”

Quinton said last month, CLIA arrived on campus to resurvey the laboratory. “While the CLIA surveyors were complimentary of the immense progress the lab has made, we are continuing to work on a few key areas. One necessary improvement identified was an aspect of our blood bank protocols, regarding the receipt of units of blood from an outside reference lab and how we document the receipt of these units into our own system.”

Quinton went on to explain that while this protocol is updated, the hospital decided to take a temporary pause from performing blood transfusions. “Doing this will allow time to ensure that staff, some who are new, are properly trained on this important protocol.”

During the temporary pause, if a patient were to need a blood transfusion, William Newton Hospital has transfer agreements in place with surrounding hospitals to meet these needs. Over the past two years, the lab has also been impacted by nationwide staffing and supply chain shortages and has scaled back some of its services. “Just like the national nursing shortage, there is also a severe shortage of lab techs,” Quinton explained. “In spite of this, our lab team has overcome many of those challenges.” While the William Newton Hospital laboratory, like most hospital laboratories, does send various tests to outside labs, it has continued to provide 24/7 inpatient services and continues providing numerous outpatient services as well.

“We understand the inconvenience this causes, but the safety of our patients is our number one concern,” Quinton said. “It is our goal for William Newton Hospital’s clinical laboratory to be a shining example for compliance and patient safety, and to resume full operations as quickly as possible.”