The SIU Center for Family Medicine – Quincy has met all criteria for Laboratory Accreditation by the Commission on Laboratory Accreditation Review (COLA), a national health care accreditation organization. The lab received no deficiencies and received the Laboratory Excellence Award, which represents the lab’s “commitment to performing quality patient testing and overall laboratory practices.” The lab “demonstrated successful proficiency testing for the prior three testing events and had no substantiated complaints against the laboratory,” according to the congratulatory letter from COLA. Dean and Provost Dr. Jerry Kruse is the lab director. Cyndy Wollbrink is the Lab Supervisor and Barb Sallee, is a medical technologist.

COLA is a nonprofit, physician-directed organization promoting quality and excellence in medicine and patient care through programs of voluntary education, achievement, and accreditation. It is approved by the federal government and sponsored by the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Medical Association, and the American College of Physicians. 

Accreditation is given only to laboratories that apply rigid standards of quality in day-to-day operations, demonstrate continued accuracy in the performance of proficiency testing, and pass a rigorous on-site laboratory survey. SIU Medicine has earned COLA accreditation as a result of a long-term commitment to provide quality service to its patients. The lab has been accredited since 1990.