Volume 67 - Fall 1997	Download

President's report NAACLS celebrates its 25th anniversary by Cynthia Wells, EdD, CLS(NCA), MT(ASCP) President, Board of Directors

October 1997 marks the beginning of NAACLS' silver anniversary. This is indeed a significant milestone in the history of accreditation and approval of educational programs in the clinical laboratory sciences. During the next 12 months, you will see and hear more about NAACLS and its celebrated history.

NAACLS was established in 1973 as an accrediting agency independent of its sponsoring professional organizations, the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS, formerly ASMT) and the American Society of Clinical Pathologists (ASCP).

Accreditation, which is voluntary, is uniquely an American concept that ensures quality in postsecondary education. In most other countries, education is controlled by the government. From a beginning in the late 19th century, accreditation has evolved into two major categories - institutional and specialized. Specialized accreditation developed as the American Medical Association/Council on Medical Education took control of the medical schools early in this century. Gradually, this control extended to include programs in the allied health professions as they emerged, and also included the approval of program standards by the physician group. In 1972, there was significant concern about the AMA's unilateral authority over allied health, and there was a call to establish a separate agency for the accreditation of non-physicians health education programs. This agency, the Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation (CAHEA), was not established until 1976.

Since the 1930's, accreditation in the clinical laboratory sciences had been conducted by the ASCP Board of Schools in collaboration with the AMA/CME. The United States Office of Education determined in 1972 that the control by ASCP over both accreditation and certification potentially violated the autonomy criterion for recognition of the AMA/CME by the office. As a result, ASCLS and ASCP began talks to establish a separate, autonomous agency to conduct accreditation activities.

On October 22, 1973, Articles of Incorporation were filed in the State of Illinois for the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences. The signers were Annamarie Barros (California), Dr. Jack M. Layton (Arizona), Dr. Rosser Mainwaring (Michigan), and Shirley Pohl (Ohio). In December 1973, the first meeting of the Board of Directors was held in Chicago at the Drake Hotel. NAACLS chose to collaborate with CAHEA after its creation in 1976. The AMA announced its intention to dissolve CAHEA in 1993. In 1994, NAACLS became an independent agency after determining that it was not in the best interest of the clinical laboratory science community to join the successor organization to CAHEA. NAACLS is currently recognized by the United States Department of Education as an independent accrediting agency.

NAACLS was and still is unique in the field of specialized accreditation. When formed, the sponsoring organizations delegated to the NAACLS Board of Directors the authority to adopt program Essentials. This means that NAACLS is truly independent and autonomous. Many other accrediting bodies look to NAACLS as their benchmark.

Over the next months, you will see and hear more about NAACLS and its history. Dr. Fred Pairent from the Board of Directors leads a planning team for commemorative activities, many of which will be announced in future newsletters.

Source: Davis, Brenta G. "The History and Purpose of NAACLS, " April 1995.

Dr. Wells is the outgoing President of the Board of Directors

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