Once the Board of Directors makes the final determination on a laboratory's accreditation application, the ICANL will advise each lab of the decision via a personalized notification letter. This letter, sent to the Medical and Technical Directors, is tailored specifically to explain the accreditation decision and when required, to request any additional documentation to further support adherence to The ICANL Standards.

Below are the various accreditation decisions that are rendered by the Board, as well as guidelines for interpreting the notification letter.

ACCREDITATION DECISIONS

1. Grant*

A laboratory to whom accreditation is granted has demonstrated substantial compliance to The ICANL Standards. This laboratory's notification letter will be accompanied by a portfolio containing the official certificate bearing the laboratory's name and area(s) of testing in which the accreditation is granted, a press release, and a CD containing the ICANL Accredited Laboratory logo. The notification letter describes the contents of the portfolio, explains proper usage of the logo, lists staff contact information and advises laboratories of their responsibility to notify the ICANL of changes in laboratory operation.

*Note: Effective 1/2010, to be in compliance with the requirements of the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) as an accrediting organization for the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA), the IAC divisions no longer grant one year, provisional accreditation.

2. Delay

A laboratory whose accreditation is delayed will receive a notification letter outlining the deficiencies identified during the application review and/or site visit/audit and the additional information requested by the ICANL Board needed to grant accreditation.

1. Upon receiving a delayed accreditation decision, the laboratory will:
   1. Have one year to provide the additionally requested documentation demonstrating adherence to the Standards as outlined in the accreditation notification letter;
   2. Be permitted to submit one set of delay material to the ICANL free of charge;
   3. Be assessed a $200 review fee if, after providing the first submission of additional material, the laboratory still has not demonstrated compliance and further information is required;
   4. Have a maximum of three delay material submissions to demonstrate compliance;
   5. If continued non-compliance is documented after review of the three submissions, the application will be denied and the laboratory will be required to resubmit a complete accreditation application and application fees.
2. The additional delay material is typically reviewed within four weeks after receipt by the IAC. Laboratories are then notified of the findings of the delay material review.
3. If granted accreditation, the final portfolio is sent.
4. Laboratories can be granted accreditation in some areas while delayed in others. This notification will include certificate(s) for those areas granted accreditation and details regarding the delay of any other section(s).

3. Site Visit

The Board of Directors may determine that a site visit is required in order to better assess the laboratory and determine the final accreditation decision. In this case, the site visit notification letter simply informs the laboratory that a visit is requested and provides instructions for arranging the visit.

4. Deny

No application for accreditation will ever be initially denied; laboratories would first receive a notification of a delay or a site visit. A notification of denial may be sent if a laboratory fails three times to demonstrate substantial compliance to The ICANL Standards.

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