National Reference Laboratory (NRL), part of Mubadala's network of world-class healthcare providers, has become the largest laboratory network accredited by the College of American Pathologists (CAP) in the Middle East, after two additional NRL laboratories received the prestigious accreditation. NRL was created in partnership with and is managed by Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (LabCorp), a world leading life sciences company providing comprehensive clinical laboratory services.

Following comprehensive onsite inspections of policies and procedures, the two additional laboratories accredited by CAP are the NRL laboratories at Imperial College London Diabetes Centre in Zayed Sports City and at the Etihad Airways Medical Centre, both in Abu Dhabi. NRL now manages and operates a total of eight CAP-accredited laboratories, more than any other healthcare provider in the Middle East. In addition to the CAP accreditation, multiple NRL laboratories are certified to the ISO 15189:2012 standard and, where applicable, accredited by Joint Commission International (JCI). Establishing benchmarks for laboratory quality in the region, NRL laboratories currently hold a total of 18 accreditations.

Clinical laboratory testing is an integral part of modern healthcare systems and is responsible for approximately 70 percent of medical decisions based on tests ordered to diagnose, treat, manage, and monitor the health conditions of patients. NRL's emphasis on premium, quality testing across its laboratories is fully acknowledged by accreditations from CAP, a global leader in laboratory quality assurance recognized as a gold standard in the laboratory industry.

Abdul Hamid Oubeisi, CEO of NRL, said: "The delivery of high quality, reliable and accurate results for our patients and clients is our paramount priority. Becoming the largest CAP-accredited laboratory network in the Middle East is a key milestone in our quality journey and an achievement that demonstrates our patient-centric approach. With NRL's fast growing network, we remain firmly committed to achieving CAP accreditation following a detailed inspection process within the first year of operation, for every new laboratory joining our network. This is a core promise we fulfill to all our stakeholders."

In addition to securing the two new CAP accreditations, NRL is reinforcing its commitment to raising laboratory quality excellence in the region through collaborating with CAP to organize a laboratory inspectors training program on November 4, 2017 in Abu Dhabi. Set to run in the Middle East for the first time, the event is expected to welcome about 250 professionals from CAP-accredited laboratories in the UAE and the Middle East.

Dr Bharati Jhaveri, Chair of the CAP Council on Accreditation, said: "This achievement marks an important step for NRL as it continues to expand its network of CAP-accredited laboratories, addressing the region's unique healthcare challenges and raising the standard of laboratory services – an integral component in the delivery of world-class healthcare. Furthermore, through co-organizing a CAP inspectors training program, NRL is assisting CAP in raising awareness of CAP checklists and their impact on ensuring quality patient care."

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