FirstHealth Neurology Receives Accreditation from the American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine

PINEHURST, N.C.- FirstHealth is pleased to announce that the outpatient laboratory at FirstHealth Neurology in Sanford has received Laboratory Accreditation with Exemplary status from the American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM). AANEM is a nonprofit membership association dedicated to the advancement of neuromuscular, musculoskeletal and electrodiagnostic medicine.

FirstHealth Neurology Laboratory Earns National Accreditation

Henry Tellez, M.D., laboratory medical director, spoke of his excitement at the achievement.

"I am excited to receive AANEM Laboratory Accreditation status," he said. "Our laboratory was the second in North Carolina to be certified with Exemplary status. I am grateful for the high performance of our technicians and medical providers. This perfectly aligns with FirstHealth's purpose: To Care for People."

What AANEM Accreditation Means for Patients

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

Why the Laboratory Earned Exemplary Status

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 or 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 Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) in clinical neurophysiology, or by the ABPN/American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in neuromuscular disease

FirstHealth Neurology

FirstHealth Neurology has clinic locations in Sanford and Pinehurst and is proud to offer innovative and comprehensive neurology care, with caring and compassion, close to home. We diagnose and treat all common neurological conditions, as well as sleep issues and balance.