The Accreditation Canada (AC) Diagnostics ISO 15189 Plus™ Diagnostic Imaging program is growing! In 2023, the provincial government of Newfoundland and Labrador took a significant step by implementing this program for all 42 imaging services sites across the province. These facilities have successfully completed their self-assessments, and the first on-site-assessments are scheduled to take place in the fall of 2024. 

Accreditation Canada (AC) Diagnostics is pleased to announce the release of Version 24.04 (April 2024) of the 15189 ISO Plus™ Diagnostic Imaging Requirements. Diagnostic Imaging (DI) facilities currently enrolled in AC Diagnostics accreditation can now access all files related to this version through the secure client portal, EQView™.

The client portal, QView™, and the Accreditation Canada Diagnostics website will not be available starting 6:00 p.m. (EST) on Friday, May 5, 2023 until late Sunday, May 7, 2023. Please make appropriate work-related arrangements to accommodate this planned maintenance.

Susan is the Quality Coordinator of the Regional Genetics Program, whose lab background includes Biochemistry, Newborn Screening, and Biochemical Genetics at Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO). In 2016, she completed the Laboratory Quality Management certificate program from the University of British Columbia, then went on to begin her current role in the Regional Genetics Program at CHEO. In 2018, Susan joined the Accreditation Canada (AC) Diagnostics Advisory Panel and followed with training to be an accreditation assessor.

Dr. Deborah Yamamura is a Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Physician at Hamilton Health Sciences and McMaster University. Dr. Yamamura has been an Accreditation Canada (AC) Diagnostics assessor since 2004, with experience assessing microbiology, molecular microbiology and safety. Dr. Yamamura has also assessed the quality management system of various facilities as team leader.

Ivan is a Clinical Biochemist and Laboratory Director at CHEO and Winchester District Memorial Hospital, and the Quality Director at Eastern Ontario Regional Laboratory Association (EORLA) in Ottawa. He has been an accreditation assessor with Accreditation Canada (AC) Diagnostics for eight years and has assessed various laboratory disciplines and served as team lead several times. The opportunity has allowed Ivan to travel across Ontario to assess numerous facilities and organizations, working alongside volunteers and AC Diagnostics staff.

Accreditation Canada (AC) Diagnostics relies on physicians, physicists, technologists, managers and scientists to serve as assessors for the accreditation program.  AC Diagnostics accreditation assessors volunteer their time and expertise to participate in numerous assessment visits each year.

We are pleased to share the expected release of Version 9 of the Accreditation Canada (AC) Diagnostics Medical Laboratory Accreditation Requirements will be in Spring 2023, followed by the Version 5 Diagnostic Imaging Requirements in Fall 2023. The release of the new set of requirements was delayed as it depended on the release of a new version of ISO 15189 Medical Laboratories – Requirements for quality and competence, which was published December 6, 2022.

This January, Accreditation Canada Diagnostics celebrated 20 years of medical diagnostic accreditation. With over 300 sites accredited against ISO 15189 Plus™ requirements in Canada and internationally, the program provides facilities with the tools required to standardize processes, mitigate risk, and enable continual quality improvement, ultimately achieving competency excellence recognized around the world.

Every three years, in December, Accreditation Canada Diagnostics (formerly IQMH) releases a new version of its accreditation requirements. We are currently preparing Version 9 of the accreditation requirements but anticipate a release date of spring 2023.