Cizik School of Nursing’s Center for Nursing Research (CNR) Laboratory recently attained certification that greatly expands the number and types of tests authorized by Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) that the lab can provide for research and clinical purposes. 

The lab now holds a CLIA Certificate of Waiver from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The CLIA program ensures that laboratory standards are met and the test results are accurate and reliable. 

“This new certification will enable the CNR Lab to perform a much wider range of tests for clinical and research work not only at the nursing school but for institutions throughout the Texas Medical Center,” said Hongyu Wang, MD, PhD, the lab’s interim director. “This provides an opportunity for better service to our health care community and potential cost savings.” 

The waiver covers test systems cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for home use and those approved for waiver under the CLIA criteria. Although these tests are simple and have a low risk for incorrect results, errors can occur anywhere in the testing process if the manufacturer’s instructions are not followed or when testing personnel are not familiar with all aspects of the test system. 

“To decrease the risk of erroneous results, the test needs to be performed correctly, by trained personnel and in an environment where good laboratory practices are followed,” Wang added. 

The certification adds well over a dozen tests to the services available from the CNR Lab. These include metabolic, lipid, and general chemistry panels, HIV tests, and many others. 

See the complete list of CLIA-waived tests available, and email [email protected] for information on specimen collection, transport, and storage.