The Precision Medicine Laboratory at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine has been fully accredited by the College of American Pathologists.
“I believe that few such molecular laboratories formed during the COVID pandemic possess this accreditation, which is a seal of quality,” said Gordon Love, MD, LSU Health New Orleans professor and chair of pathology.
The laboratory, conceived to bring Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies to the clinical arena, was built and launched over the past two years. The $2 million laboratory is a collaboration of the Departments of Pathology and Genetics.
Co-Directed by Love and Lucio Miele, MD, PHD, professor and chair of genetics, LSU Health New Orleans’ Precision Medicine Laboratory has been sequencing positive coronavirus patient samples to determine what strains of the virus are circulating in the New Orleans area. The lab was the first to identify the Delta variant in New Orleans and one of the first to find the Omicron variant in the area.
“LSU Health New Orleans’ Precision Medicine Laboratory is one of the few accredited laboratories doing this work,” said Miele. “That’s the only way to really keep track of what the virus is doing.”
According to the College of American Pathologists, CAP Laboratory Accreditation helps laboratories maintain the accuracy of test results; ensure accurate patient diagnosis; and meet required standards from CLIA, FDA, and OSHA.
“We are very proud of this validation of the high quality of our Precision Medicine Laboratory,” says Steve Nelson, MD, LSU Health New Orleans Interim Chancellor. “The real-time information our faculty and staff are providing about SARS-CoV-2 is invaluable in the pandemic response.”