ASK THE EXPERT
Barry Craig, MLT (NCA), CLC
Lab Coordinator, CHS
Member POCCA (Point of Care Coordinators Alabama)
Member Helena Laboratories Focus Group
H
improper environmental conditions for the
lab. This citation means the environment
would have to be corrected to the
manufacturer’s specifications.
appy “Back to School” for all
you moms and dads out there.
The rush is over, the school
supply lists completed, haircuts
obtained, and school lunches
prepared. Now the mind numbing routine of
school, athletic practices, and school
functions begin.
I honestly do not know how working parents
manage to cram all that stuff into one 24 hour
day! But child abandonment is still frowned
upon, so buckle down and call it an adventure.
Here are some of the questions received lately.
Can we perform Waived kit tests without a
CLIA license if we are not billing for them?
NO. I cannot stress this enough. NO, NO, NO.
You must have a CLIA Certificate of Waiver to
perform Waived testing whether you are billing
for the testing or not. Billing has nothing to do
with compliance. The Waiver cost $150.00
biannually, and your onsite physician can act as
lab director. You must follow the manufacturer’s
recommendations for quality control and you
should document training and competency for
performing the tests.
Whether you bill for the testing or not, your
physician is still making decisions on diagnosis
and treatment of the patient based on the
results obtained. So the results should be
accurate, right? You don’t want to tell Ms. Jones,
“We checked your glucose level today but we
have no idea if the results are right, but hey,
don’t worry, we didn’t charge you for the test!”
It is too stuffy and hot in the lab. I keep
telling my doctor that it is too hot for the
instruments we run to function properly, but
it is falling on deaf ears. Any suggestions?
Yes, I have a few suggestions for your hot
and bothered state of being.
First, if you have windows in your lab with
blinds, rotate the blinds so that the bottom of
each slat is angled closest to the window.
If you angle the slats downward, sunlight
still comes in through the window. A simple
way to do it is to look at the reflection on the
floor and rotate the slats until the sunlight
disappears. You can actually lower the
temperature in your lab up to 15 degrees by
changing the angle of your slats.
Second, make sure the vents that blow air
into the lab are open all the way. Central air
vents are sometimes left at their default
position, which is not fully open.
Third, make it clear to your physician that
on an inspection, you can be cited for
I have heard that changes are coming for
Waived testing and we might have to start
doing proficiency testing in the future.
What is the latest word?
It is true that CLIA is looking at Waived
testing more carefully. One of the ideas...
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