Salem Memorial District Hospital recently announced the results of the most recent Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment (CLIA) compliance inspection. CLIA is an office of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services that establishes quality standards for clinical laboratory testing to ensure patient test results are accurate and reliable, and hospital labs are correctly performing all manners of testing and quality control procedures.
As previously reported, CLIA’s initial inspection conducted on Oct. 21, 2021, resulted in the laboratory being cited with numerous deficiencies and several sanctions placed on the hospital’s lab. In the months that have followed, SMDH laboratory personnel with the help of RHG (Rural Hospital Group) and other consultants have strived to make the improvements required to provide the level of outstanding patient care that our community has been accustomed to, expects and deserves. On Wednesday, representatives from the state CLIA office performed an unannounced re-inspection of the SMDH lab. SMDH is pleased to announce the lab passed the inspection with zero deficiencies and all previous sanctions were removed. Rural Hospital Group credits the key improvements in the turnaround to the new lab manager, Joe Brister, as well as the invaluable support from all supporting consultants.
