NCCLS Organizational Name Change Approved

It’s official: NCCLS’s dedicated members, volunteers, and customers can look forward to a new name for their organization in 2005. This summer, delegates voted and approved Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute as the new organization name.  Recommended by the Board of Directors,                                              the new name will be effective January 2005.
 
Exhaustive Brand Identity Study and Review Leads to Approval

The decision to change the organizational name has followed an exhaustive brand identity study over the past two years. This research showed that the organizational name was causing significant brand confusion among key stakeholders and constituencies in the standards-development community. Beginning in October 2003 and continuing through May 2004, NCCLS tested proposed names and encouraged comments on name selections. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute was chosen as the best reflection of the organization’s mission to the healthcare community, depth and breadth of standards-development activities, and global membership base. 

Looking to the Future

Last July, NCCLS Executive Vice President, John V. Bergen, Ph.D., informed the Board of Directors of his plans to retire in January 2005. Commenting on the approval of the organizational name change, Bergen says, “The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute name will command great respect in the healthcare community. It honors our over 35-year history while expressing our global mission, strategic direction, and numerous standards-development activities.” He adds, “Our new name embodies our perception of the key constituencies who work together to build consensus, as well as our expanded range of functions aimed at improving healthcare worldwide.”

The Board of Directors and Executive Offices staff are currently working to transition to the new name in a deliberate and responsible manner. This name change represents the organization’s commitment to continued growth and success by providing global, practical standards promoting excellence for the healthcare community.  
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