Business challenge

Managing quality standards and regulatory compliance is difficult for laboratories. At Covenant Pathology Services, Jessi Gunter, the Quality Manager, has mastered this intricate balance with a little help from Zavanta, an end-to-end policy and procedure management platform by Comprose.  

Before Zavanta, this process was cumbersome and overwhelming. Compliance details were tracked in Excel spreadsheets, a method that demanded constant manual updates, extensive cross-referencing, and significant time investment. The process was not just labor-intensive; it was filled with the risk of human error, creating unnecessary stress for staff and leadership alike. 

Then Covenant began using Zavanta, and it transformed the way CPS approached compliance. 

The solution: Zavanta

Zavanta emerged as the clear choice, offering an end-to-end centralized platform that simplifies policy and procedure management while enhancing transparency and accountability.  

Zavanta's ability to assist in the creation, revision, and organization of policies and procedures allowed Covenant to replace their previous reliance on cumbersome spreadsheets, providing a streamlined approach that could adapt to changing regulations with ease. 

Choosing Zavanta was not just about solving immediate challenges but about building a foundation for long-term excellence. With its automated workflows, real-time updates, and user-friendly interface, Zavanta enabled Covenant to foster a culture of continuous process improvement. Staff at all levels gained access to clear, actionable SOPs, while inspectors benefited from instant visibility into compliance records.  

The result was not only enhanced operational efficiency but also an elevated standard of care, as the team could focus less on administrative burdens and more on delivering quality outcomes for patients. Zavanta proved to be a transformative tool, aligning seamlessly with Covenant’s mission of excellence and accountability.  

The results with Zavanta

Zavanta has advanced operations at Covenant Pathology Services, streamlining compliance, saving time with automation, and driving continuous process improvement to uphold excellence in care and precision.  

Enhanced compliance

Covenant Pathology Services uses Zavanta to set a new standard in compliance and inspection readiness. By integrating regulatory checklists, evidence of compliance through employee attestation, and automated workflows, the system demonstrates compliance and efficiency. 

Zavanta’s capabilities were showcased during the College of American Pathologists' 2024 inspection of the Nashville lab, which resulted in no deficiencies or recommendations—a rare achievement reflecting perfection in quality management and laboratory operations. The inspection lasted just three and a half hours instead of the usual eight, leaving inspectors with no further questions—a testament to the efficiency and precision of policies and procedures. 

Federal requirements for biennial reviews are managed alongside annual regulatory revisions, with automated campaigns facilitating rapid updates, approvals, dissemination, and staff attestation.  

In addition, audit stress is now a thing of the past. Jessi shares, “I can sit an inspector in front of Zavanta and say ‘have at it’ because the system is friendly enough for them to navigate. They can easily see you’ve got your bases covered. I felt like a ‘golden god’ after our first inspection using Zavanta. The inspection was pretty painless because I had all the answers at my fingertips.” 

Inspections at CPS labs consistently draw high praise for Zavanta’s accessibility and functionality. Inspectors, equipped with their own read-only logins, can navigate the system with ease, benefiting from basic and advanced search features that mirror staff views. The clarity and organization of processes and procedures stand out, streamlining inspections to unprecedented efficiency.  

Time savings with automation

Automation has transformed workflow management at Covenant Pathology Services, addressing staffing challenges and supporting diverse accreditation needs.  

The compliance team utilizes process specific workflows for document review and approval, integrating universal and location-specific documents with tailored reviewer assignments to save significant time. With a small team managing daily responsibilities beyond policy and procedure work, Zavanta’s automation handles much of the workload. This system enables the team to focus on other priorities while still maintaining compliance.  

“Zavanta’s automation has been one of the biggest benefits for us. We have periodic reviews of all our policies and procedures. Being able to email someone a link instead of having them have to hunt for something on a shared drive has saved everyone time, including our Pathologists and Medical Directors.” 

Continuous process improvement

Leveraging Zavanta, the team ensures that SOPs are compliant as well as accessible and actionable for all staff.  

Jessi credits Zavanta for ensuring more engaging, usable SOPs. “We document everything, every event, every area of our operations. If an SOP is too vague, or a step is incorrect, it's easy to revise and re-examine the SOP. We tell everyone: Write the SOP as if [the reader] has never done it before.” 

If an SOP is found to be vague or a step proves incorrect, Zavanta enables rapid revision and re-evaluation, ensuring processes remain aligned with best practices. This dynamic approach makes every SOP a tool for empowerment and accountability, equipping staff to excel in their roles while upholding the organization’s high standards. “We deal with so many different regulations, and sometimes they change, sometimes they merge. The ability to make changes across all documents is extremely helpful.”  

Why Zavanta?

One of Covenant Pathology Services’ Medical Directors often reminds the team, “If it’s not documented, it never happened.” Zavanta embodies this philosophy, serving not just as a compliance tool but as the manifestation of a decade-long journey toward excellence.  

Zavanta has become a living record of the laboratories’ adaptability and commitment to meeting ever-changing regulatory demands. It captures the details of personnel attestations, provides undeniable evidence of compliance, and serves as a blueprint for how a small group of privately owned laboratories cultivated a culture of transparency, accountability, and shared purpose. 

Zavanta empowers Covenant Pathology Services to demonstrate, with precision, their commitment to delivering the highest standard of care. Every policy, procedure, and decision align with a clear mission: to provide quality care backed by clear, actionable proof. This system doesn’t just support the lab’s success — it validates it, creating a legacy of excellence that resonates with every patient served and every inspection passed.