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IAC Newsletter

Letter from the CEO
Spring 2008

Sandra L. Katanick, CAE CEO

Welcome to the inaugural issue of the IAC Newsletter, the first tangible illustration of the restructure and merger of the individual accrediting divisions (ICAVL, ICAEL, ICANL, ICAMRL and ICACTL) into one entity: the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission. While in existence since 1996, the IAC has served for the past twelve years primarily as a management organization to the individually incorporated accrediting bodies. The Board of Directors and staff are excited about this new merger that officially took place in March 2008, as it will lead to multiple benefits including more consistency and efficient business practices among the divisions. While the change will be relatively transparent to applicant laboratories, those performing more than one type of imaging (e.g.: a cardiology practice performing both echocardiography and noninvasive vascular examinations) will surely notice the cohesiveness that the reorganization will bring. When applying for more than one type of accreditation, laboratories will soon benefit from one IAC Accreditation Agreement for all divisions. By the end of 2008, each of the divisions will offer their accreditation applications through Online Accreditation, the exciting new format that provides numerous benefits to the staff completing the application, including easy access to data from multiple computers by multiple users, virtually paperless application submissions, and the ability to carry data applicable to multiple testing modalities from one application to the next without having to re-enter those details.

In terms of the IAC Newsletter, our goal in developing content is to cover topics that will enhance the operations and level of patient care provided by laboratories to patients, with direct applicability to the accreditation process. Every issue of the IAC Newsletter contains important accreditation news pertaining to the IAC as a whole, as well as a schedule of upcoming events. In addition, you will find that each division has its own designated section, containing a lead article and other news related to that division.

This first issue includes several helpful articles from each division. The ICAVL discusses image recording and storage for noninvasive vascular laboratories and how that technology has led to a change in the case study submission guidelines that becomes effective in January 2010. Addressing a common request, the ICAEL provides guidance on the development of a consistent final echocardiography report and provides a sample. The ICANL addresses Adenosine protocols and the details nuclear medicine laboratories need to consider in order to ensure compliance with The Standards. Representative magnetic resonance case studies, and their significance as the most heavily weighted aspect of the accreditation application, are discussed by the ICAMRL. As the newest of the accrediting divisions, the ICACTL has taken this opportunity to address several of the most common inquiries about the process and where CT laboratories can find answers to their questions regarding whether they meet the requirements for accreditation.

The brand new format of the IAC Newsletter has allowed us to create a unified publication that both addresses the Commission as a whole and sheds light on all of the individual facets of imaging accreditation we offer. We at the IAC invite you to take a moment to read through this first issue. Our goal is to provide you with a publication that continues to meet the needs of your laboratory.

Sandra L. Katanick, CAE
CEO