AABB is an international association of blood banks, including hospital and community blood centres, transfusion and transplantation services, and individuals involved in activities related to transfusion and transplantation medicine. Since its inception in 1947, AABB continues to support the highest standards of medical, technical and administrative performance, scientific investigation, clinical application and education. The association is dedicated to encouraging the voluntary donation of blood and other tissues and organs through education, public information and research. AABB member facilities are responsible for collecting virtually all of the nation’s blood supply and transfusing more than 80 percent. Nearly 2,000 institutions (community and hospital blood banks, hospital transfusion services, and laboratories) and about 8,000 individuals are members of AABB, including physicians, scientists, administrators, medical technologists, blood donor recruiters and public relations personnel. Members are located in all 50 states and 80 countries. AABB’s active membership provides direction to the association through its board of directors and more than 30 committees of dedicated volunteer professionals.

AABB assessments are based on standards developed by experts in the field. These standards apply to both quality and technical elements.

AABB Accreditation is a voluntary assessment program rather than a mandated inspection. Facilities that choose to seek AABB accreditation do so out of a facility’s desire for and commitment to continuous improvement, education and quality. Unlike any other accrediting body, blood banking, transfusion medicine and cellular therapy are core competencies of AABB.

Membership in the AABB or being enrolled in the AABB accreditation program is not the same as accreditation by the AABB.

AABB Accreditation is the designation of choice for blood banking, transfusion medicine, blood management and cellular therapies because it demonstrates an organization’s commitment to advanced learning, continuous improvement, and innovation by striving to sustain highest possible level of patient and donor care. AABB-accredited organizations are recognized by their peers as leaders in their field and as pivotal voices in the dialogue through which consensus-based, voluntary standards are developed and implemented.

“AABB Accreditation indicates that we are dealing with a committed quality service provider. We can feel confident that a product that we receive from an AABB accredited facility maintains the highest possible level of patient and donor care.”

John J Doyle, M.D.
Bone Marrow Transplant Section Head
The Hospital For Sick Children - Toronto

AABB accredits laboratories and facilities worldwide that are involved in one or more of the following activities:

• Blood centers (collection, processing, testing and distribution)
• Hospital blood banks
• Transfusion services
• Hematopoietic progenitor cell (HPC) laboratories
• Umbilical Cord blood services
• Perioperative services
• Immunohematology reference laboratories (IRL)
• Parentage testing laboratories

At Lifebank, we are very proud to have our current Laboratory Manager recognized as an AABB assessor. Assessors are working professionals who are specially trained to conduct on-site assessments for AABB Accreditation. Most assessors have typically earned advanced degrees and offer many years of experience in the field. These professionals participate on a voluntary basis, donating their time and expertise to support the community in its long-standing commitment to deliver the highest quality of care for patients and donors.

In December 1994, the International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT) and the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (ASBMT) merged their standards into a single document covering all aspects of hematopoietic cell therapy (collection, processing, and transplantation). The two societies established FACT (Foundation of Accreditation of Cellular Therapy) in order to develop a voluntary Inspection and Accreditation Program based on the joint standards. FACT promotes quality medical and laboratory practice of cellular therapy through its peer-developed standards and voluntary inspection and accreditation program.

In 2000, recognizing the global impact of cord blood banking and transplantation, FACT partnered with NetCord to develop international standards for cord blood collection, processing, testing, banking, selection and release. The NetCord foundation is an international network of non-profit public cord blood banks created to promote the establishment of high quality cord blood banks and improve the quality of cord blood products through study and research.

The FACT Inspection and Accreditation Program was developed by Dr. Phyllis Warkentin, FACT Medical Director, the FACT Directors and Officers, as well as the ISCT and ASBMT Regulatory and Standards Committees. The first edition of the NetCord-FACT Standards was published in 2000.

As defined by leading experts, based on the latest knowledge of the field of cord blood banking, by demonstrating compliance with the NETCORD-FACT International Standards for Cord Blood Collection, Processing, Testing, Banking, Selection and Release, Lifebank Corp. is now the only cord blood bank in Canada to be fully FACT Accredited, an achievement considered industry-wide to represent the gold standard of quality, performance and integrity.

The qualification process required to achieve the FACT seal of approval is rigorous, from submission of detailed, documented evidence demonstrating thorough compliance with FACT’s extremely discerning standards to a complete on-site inspection.