QMP-LS Accredited Laboratory Services

The Laboratory Services department of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre is accredited by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s laboratory quality assurance program, Quality Management Program – Laboratory Services (QMP-LS), and due to high performance demonstrated in the areas of patient safety, staff safety and continuous quality improvement, the department has achieved the maximum five-year accreditation awarded by the program.

The Laboratory Services department comprises of the departments of Anatomic Pathology, Clinical Pathology (Chemistry, Hematology, Blood and Tissue Banking), Lab Information Services, and Microbiology, as well as providing Point-Of-Care Testing; and Phlebotomy Services at some sites. The department is affiliated with the University of Toronto, University of Ontario Institute of Technology and the Michener Institute for Applied Health Sciences and is staffed by certified medical laboratory technologists, medical laboratory assistants and laboratory scientists, laboratory physicians and pathologists and other highly trained support staff.

For only one of numerous components of the department’s accreditation work and total quality management, staff demonstrated principles of good laboratory practice by fulfilling requirements for over 700 standards including training of staff on all new standards. For greater efficiencies, the team also completed extensive process improvements by updating and standardizing hundreds of Laboratory Policies and Procedures (P & Ps), and developed and implemented unique technology to centralize these P & Ps to enhance electronic accessibility in real time.

“As part of ongoing ‘checks and balances’ on continuous improvements and compliance with good practice principles,” says Mike Mendaglio, Operations Director, Laboratory Services, Sunnybrook, “Laboratory Services staff also respond to random inspections from the Laboratory Quality Management group; and monthly case challenges from QMP-LS and other external proficiency programs, and meet regularly to ensure the department’s continued performance at the highest level of quality control standards.”

The Laboratory Services department produces lab reports and provides expert analysis that forms the critical basis for diagnosis, and for pre-clinical and clinical research. It is with a focus on total quality and the commitment of the excellent staff that the Laboratory Services department is able to meet the strict accreditation requirements and provide for the ever-growing requests for service.