The
American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB)
is a scientific, not-for-profit, peer group organization founded
in 1976 to facilitate the provision of transplantable tissues
of uniform high quality in quantities sufficient to meet national
needs. AATB maintains a close liaison with
the officials of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
engaging in an on-going program of information exchange. To
this end, FDA officials have provided guidance and informal
monitoring of various AATB programs.
Accreditation
To ensure that tissue-banking activities are performed in a
professional manner consistent with The AATB
Standards for Tissue Banking, in
1986 the Association initiated
a program of Inspection and Accreditation of Tissue Banks. Based
upon the Standards, tissue banks undergo on-site inspection
of their facilities and operations by trained inspectors designated
by the Association. Inspectors monitor banks for compliance
with all aspects of the Association’s Standards such as
record keeping, quality control, donor selection criteria, patient
history and safety. When a bank demonstrates compliance with
Standards, the Association confers Accreditation.
Certification
AATB
offers a program of Certification of Tissue Bank Personnel.
The Tissue Bank Specialist Examination test candidates on
their knowledge in all areas of tissue banking including donor
identification and evaluation, tissue retrieval, donor reconstruction,
tissue processing, decontamination techniques, quality control
and product testing, labeling, record keeping, and clinical
application of allografts. In order to sit for the examination,
candidates must meet the current criteria for experience and
education. The examination is administered, scored and validated
by an outside professional testing service. Successful candidates
are certified as Tissue Bank Specialists (CTBS).
Network
The AATB Tissue Network makes an important contribution to
fulfilling the mission of the American Association
of Tissue Banks. The Network is designed to help
locate and provide safe transplantable tissue allografts to
requesting physicians and hospitals.
Since
1989, the AATB Executive Office near Washington , D.C. , has
provided this toll-free service 1-800-635-AATB (2282).
Physicians and hospitals may contact the network Monday through
Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
EST. Staff members relay requests
for tissue to AATB-accredited facilities that distribute the
requested tissue.
For more information, contact AATB at:
American Association of Tissue Banks
1320 Old Chain Bridge Road, Suite 450
McLean , Virginia 22101 USA
Phone: 703-827-9582
Fax: 703-356-2198
E-mail: aatb@aatb.org
Website: www.aatb.org