Community Health Network Spine Center EMG labs are first in the state to receive Exemplary Laboratory Accreditation

Indianapolis, IN---Community Health Network’s Spine Center EMG labs are the first in the State of Indiana to receive Exemplary Laboratory Accreditation status from the American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM).

The AANEM established laboratory accreditation criteria for electrodiagnostic (EDX) laboratories to ensure patients receive quality medical care in a safe environment. Laboratory accreditation provides patients, referral sources and payers with a credible measure to differentiate the laboratory’s quality of care. The accreditation standards evaluate the diagnostic services and clinical operations essential to providing quality patient care, which include:

• Clinical staff qualifications and continuing education
• Physical facilities
• EDX equipment
• Protocols for performing EDX studies
• Patient reports
• Policies for ensuring the health and safety of every patient

Exemplary Status is the highest level of accreditation an EDX laboratory can achieve under the AANEM Accreditation Program. To be awarded Accreditation with Exemplary Status, physicians performing studies in the laboratory must:

• Have completed a neurology of physical medicine and rehabilitation residency program
• Have completed a minimum of three months of training in EDX medicine as part of a residency or fellowship program
• Be certified by the American Board of Electrodiagnostic Medicine (ABEM) or by the American Boards of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) in clinical neurophysiology or by the ABPN/American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in neuromuscular disease

“We are very excited to be the first lab in Indiana to receive this accreditation,” said Dr. Brian Foley, medical director. “It is an honor to have our hard work and high standards recognized on a national level by our country’s premier association for nerve testing.”

“By becoming an Accredited Exemplary Lab, our Spine Centers have enhanced the quality of care for the patient and have demonstrated a commitment to higher standards when caring for our patients,” said Jon Fohrer, vice president of ambulatory services for Community Health Network.

About the American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine
AANEM is a nonprofit membership association dedicated to the advancement of neuromuscular, musculoskeletal, and electrodiagnostic medicine. For more information about AANEM, or to learn more about laboratory accreditation, visit www.aanem.org.

About Community Health Network
Ranked among the nation’s most integrated healthcare systems, Community Health Network is Central Indiana’s leader in providing convenient access to exceptional healthcare services, where and when patients need them—in hospitals, health pavilions and doctor’s offices, as well as workplaces, schools and homes. As a non-profit health system with over 200 sites of care and affiliates throughout Central Indiana, Community’s full continuum of care integrates hundreds of physicians, specialty and acute care hospitals, surgery centers, home care services, MedChecks, behavioral health and employer health services. To learn more, visit eCommunity.com or call 800-777-7775.

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