About AABB Accreditation

• AABB accreditation provides external validation that a facility is adhering to the highest levels of quality and safety via international standards of excellence.
• Get globally recognized expertise and feedback for your facility.
• Attract and retain quality staff who recognize the prestige of AABB Accreditation

• Accreditation is an educational, peer reviewed and participatory process, which helps to build a culture of learning and excellence.
• Accreditation imparts quality management skills and knowledge that can extend to other areas.
• Assessors analyze and connect processes to identify areas of improvement or concern, leading to meaningful improvements in your facility.

• During the AABB accreditation process – and once accredited – your facility has direct access to AABB’s team of experts who can answer questions, offer insights and provide resources.
• Our staff of experts are up-to-date on regulatory changes, compliance issues, emerging risks and more impacting your facility.
• Facilities can also directly ask a question about, or request a variance to the Standards.

• Professional, knowledgeable assessors with real-world experience and expertise in the job they are evaluating.
• AABB accreditation assessments are conducted by experts who are among the most qualified professionals in the field. Each team is carefully formed to fulfill regulatory requirements, provide subject matter expertise and avoid conflicts of interest.

• Accreditation is built upon AABB Standards, which represent the current best practices and state of the science for each activity.
• Assessments consider the different methods a facility may use to meet the intent of a standard, so that facilities may adopt their operations to a standard, rather than specifying how a facility must meet a standard.
• Separation between standards and accreditation allows AABB to consider variances when changes in the field deem it necessary.
• AABB Standards and Accreditation can adapt internationally. For example, AABB works with ABHH (Associacao Brasileira de Hematologia, Hemoterapia e Terapia Celular) to provide a joint accreditation for facilities located in Brazil using ABHH Standards (AABB Standards translated into Portuguese and customized to reflect local Brazilian requirements).

Achieving AABB Accreditation can help your facility attain and, in many cases, exceed federal and state requirements. In instances where AABB has been granted deemed status, your AABB assessment may additionally serve as your facility’s federal- or state-mandated inspection.

AABB’s Standards and Accreditation Programs are recognized in several states’ laws and regulations, as well as by external accreditation organizations. Additionally, payers’ policies recognize AABB Standards and Accreditation, which is a prerequisite for insurance coverage and reimbursement. For example:

• AABB has been granted deemed status by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for its standards for transfusion, donor activities, immunohematology reference, molecular testing and cellular therapies laboratories. Our standards have been found to be as stringent as — often surpassing— those required by the Code of Federal Regulations.
• AABB is recognized as an accrediting organization for the Bill Young Transplant Program by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
• AABB’s Standards are valued by external accreditation organizations. For example, the Joint Commission Standard QC.5.10 states "written policies and procedures for the blood transfusion service are consistent with current AABB standards.” AABB Standards are also cited in the Joint Commission Standards QC.5.20 and QC.5.25.
• AABB Standards and Accreditation Programs are recognized by states’ laws and regulations. For example, AABB standards are part of California statute; all California laboratories must follow AABB standards. AABB has also been granted deemed status by the California Department of Public Health, Laboratory Field Services. Blood centers, hospital blood banks, transfusion services and cellular therapy services subject to inspection by California state inspectors can opt to have AABB perform their California inspection as an accrediting organization.
• Private payers include AABB’s Standards and Accreditation programs in coverage and reimbursement policies. For example, Aetna’s Institutes of Excellence policy for facilities that perform bone marrow transplants recognizes AABB as one of the required accrediting organizations.
• U. S. Department of State and U. S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) require that DNA testing for immigration purposes be initiated with an AABB-Accredited lab.

AABB is continuously advancing policies that promote adequate, appropriate access to safe, clinically effective transfusion medicine and cellular therapies. View AABB’s Advocacy Agenda to learn more.