Laboratory Services offers a comprehensive range of routine and specialized testing and clinical consultation in the province of Alberta. These testing services provide support to clinicians in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of disease for the residents of Alberta.
In addition, Laboratory Services provides educational training opportunities and continuing education for a broad range of health care professionals. The laboratories are proud to support clinical and applied research.
AHS Laboratory Services supports a patient-focused approach and expert consultation is available to assist care providers and users of the service.
Laboratories follow a stringent accreditation process and are accredited through such organizations as the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta; College of American Pathologists and the International Organization of Standardization (ISO). Our goal is to strive to achieve the highest standards of service.
AHS Laboratory Services provides services through laboratory sites located throughout the province using a provincial structure of leadership. Partnerships with DynaLIFEDx, Calgary Laboratory Services, and Medicine Hat Diagnostics Laboratory support access to services and the availability of testing. AHS Laboratory Services is closely linked with the University of Alberta; Northern Alberta Institute of Technology; Southern Alberta Institute of Technology; Red Deer College; and Alberta Business and Education Services to support education and the advancement of research.
In our continuing vigilance to ensure the very best services for clients, partners, and patients, Alberta Precision Laboratories maintains accreditation from multiple accrediting organizations, including internationally recognized programs designed to evaluate the quality of laboratory services.
Laboratory services are accredited by multiple organizations with many of our provincial programs (Provincial Lab for Public Health, Genetics and Genomics, University Hospital and the Diagnostic and Scientific Centre) achieving multiple accreditations:
Provincial Laboratory for Public Health (Calgary and Edmonton)
University of Alberta Hospital
Genetic Laboratory Services
As part of the Governance Structure for Laboratory Services, Networks have been identified to support the operations of Laboratories in the province. The intention of the Laboratory Networks is to build supportive communication and coordination within the province to:
The Networks include:
The Laboratory Services Provincial Quality Assurance Committee was established by the Alberta Health Services Board as a Quality Assurance Committee as defined by the Alberta Evidence Act (Section 9) to carry out quality assurance activities to systematically study, assess, and/or evaluate the provision of Laboratory Services including evaluation of identified patient concerns, review of reported adverse events with the view to continual improvement of the quality of health care or services provided.
The Laboratory Services Provincial Quality improvement Committee is a standing committee with the primary purpose of overseeing quality improvement, risk management, patient safety, utilization management, and accreditation for the laboratory services at the Provincial Level. Zone Quality Improvement Committees are currently in development.