Preparing your Mohs or pathology lab for a CAP inspection

For Mohs, dermatopathology, and histology labs, a CAP or CLIA inspection comes down to two things: are your processes sound, and can you prove your equipment is calibrated, maintained, and safe? The first is your domain. The second is where many labs lose points — and where a little preparation goes a long way.

The equipment-and-documentation checklist

Cryostat & histology bench

• Current preventive-maintenance records for the cryostat and processors.
• Temperature verification documented.
• Decontamination and safety checks on file.

Calibration

• Centrifuges, pipettes, and thermometers calibrated on schedule.
• NIST-traceable certificates available on demand.
• On-instrument labels showing last and next-due dates.

Electrical safety

• Powered equipment safety-tested per NFPA 99, with documentation.

Cold storage

• Refrigerators and freezers monitored, with calibrated probes and a clean record.

Survey day shouldn't be a fire drill. If your records are current and organized, it's just another day.

Where labs lose easy points

Almost always: documentation that exists somewhere but can't be produced quickly, a calibration that lapsed, or a piece of equipment that was never electrically safety-tested. None of these are hard to fix — they just need a system that keeps them current.

Make readiness continuous, not last-minute

The labs that breeze through inspections don't cram — they run a continuous program where calibration, PM, electrical safety, and documentation stay current year-round. That's the idea behind inspection readiness, and if you're setting up a new lab, it's far easier to build it in from day one than to retrofit it later.