Yvette McCarter, PhD, has a major influence on the adoption of certain national health standards.
McCarter, a University of Florida professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at the College of Medicine – Jacksonville and director of the microbiology laboratory at UF Health Jacksonville, was recently elected vice chair of The Joint Commission’s Laboratory Professional and Technical Advisory Committee (PTAC).
The Laboratory PTAC is one of six PTACs that assist in the development and refinement of standards and metrics established by The Joint Commission, which accredits and certifies more than 20,000 health-related organizations and programs in the United States.
“As vice chair of the Laboratory PTAC, I will interact with chairs and vice chairs of all six PTACs to discuss, share perspective on, and build consensus on recommendations concerning the standards. We will also survey process issues and policy issues,” McCarter said.
Laboratory PTAC members represent 15 professional organizations, including the American Society for Microbiology. Since 2008, McCarter has served as that group’s representative on the committee.
McCarter is also a member of The Joint Commission’s Laboratory Standards Development Technical Advisory Panel, as well as the Standards and Survey Procedures Committee, which develops, evaluates and improves standards and national patient safety goals.
She said current tasks in her role as vice chair of the Laboratory PTAC include reviewing and updating Joint Commission standards for 2015. Her term as vice chair will last two years.
“I am excited to begin this new role with the Laboratory PTAC,” McCarter said. “My goal as vice chair is to work with chairs and vice chairs of all six PTACs and provide the laboratory’s perspective in the development of new standards.”
McCarter received her professional education at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine in Richmond, Va. She completed her fellowship at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Conn. Her clinical special interests include cost-effective and clinically relevant microbiology, and antimicrobial resistance.
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Associate Chair, Department of Pathology; Director, Microbiology Laboratory