Private Accrediting Agencies

COLA
http://www.cola.org
800-981-9883
9881 Broken Land Parkway
Suite 200
Columbia, MD 21046-1158
(Requirements similar to CLIA; POL focus - sponsored by the AAFP, ASIM, AMA and CAP)

JCAHO
http://www.jcaho.org
630-792-500
One Renaissance Boulevard
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
(Requirements more stringent; POLs owned by a healthcare organization may be required to use JCAHO as an accrediting agency; JCAHO accepts COLA accreditation as equal to its own)

CAP
http://www.cap.org
800-323-4040
325 Waukegan Road
Northfield, IL 60093-2750
(Requirements more stringent; POLs owned by a healthcare organization may be required to use CAP as an accrediting agency; CAP has a reciprocal agreement with JCAHO)

AOA
http://www.aoa-net.org
800-621-1773
142 East Ontario
Chicago, IL 60611