MADISON, N.J., June 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX), the world's leading provider of diagnostic information services, and Safeway, one of the largest food and drug retailers in the U.S., are teaming up to offer diagnostic testing in 12 Safeway locations, in addition to the two locations currently operating in Arizona through Quest's Sonora Quest Laboratories joint venture with Banner Health.  

Quest Diagnostics will provide diagnostic testing services offered in company-branded Patient Services Centers (PSCs) in 12 Safeway locations in California, Colorado, Texas, Virginia and Maryland. Customers will enjoy convenient lab testing services and access to the most accurate diagnostic capabilities. 

The PSCs in Safeway will be adjacent to Safeway's in-store pharmacies.  The 400 to 500 square-foot PSCs will feature interior designs built to facilitate patient interaction in a secure and private environment.  The PSCs will have a waiting room that comfortably seats patients and a dedicated restroom with a sample pass-through.

Quest also plans to provide patients with remote contact devices that allow them to shop during wait times, providing a more convenient patient experience. Quest and Safeway will also launch co-branded initiatives to reward customers, such as purchase incentives and coupons.  

"We are proud to expand our relationship with Safeway," said Steve Rusckowski, Quest Diagnostics President and CEO.  "We're building on what we learned in Arizona, which is that by providing laboratory testing services where patients also shop, we will make it easier for them to get the quality diagnostic insights they need in convenient locations.  Our partnership with Safeway, combined with the technology investments we are making in our PSCs throughout the company and the commitment of our 44,000 dedicated employees to Everyday Excellence, are helping to create a first-class patient experience."     

Quest has been a leader in the movement for consumer empowerment in healthcare. The company has been a strong advocate of the effort to provide patients with direct access to lab testing through its Sonora Quest Laboratories joint venture.  Nearly three million patients track and access their lab results and health data through its myQuest by Care360™patient portal and mobile app.   Other consumer offerings include Blueprint for Wellness, a growing wellness business, and Blueprint for Athletes, a direct-to-consumer biomarker monitoring service for amateur and professional athletes.

"Our collaboration with Quest Diagnostics represents Safeway's commitment to becoming a health and wellness destination for our customers, giving patients convenient access to quality laboratory testing and a unique shopping experience," said Mark Panzer, Senior Vice President of Pharmacy, Health & Wellness at Safeway.  "This is a natural extension of the robust health and wellness offerings found throughout our stores. We're excited that our customers will have access to healthy foods, pharmacy services and diagnostic testing under one roof."

About Safeway and The Albertsons Companies
Albertsons Companies is one of the largest food and drug retailers in the United States, with both a strong local presence and national scale. We operate stores across 35 states and the District of Columbia under 19 well-known banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market and Carrs. Albertsons Companies is dedicated to helping people across the country live better lives. In 2015 alone, along with the Albertsons Companies Foundation, the company gave more than $270 million in food and financial support to the more than 2,200 communities it serves, improving the lives of millions of people in the areas of hunger relief, education, cancer research and treatment, programs for people with disabilities, and veterans outreach. Albertsons Companies is committed to making a meaningful difference, neighborhood by neighborhood.  

About Quest Diagnostics
Quest Diagnostics empowers people to take action to improve health outcomes.  Derived from the world's largest database of clinical lab results, our diagnostic insights reveal new avenues to identify and treat disease, inspire healthy behaviors and improve health care management. Quest annually serves one in three adult Americans and half the physicians and hospitals in the United States, and our 44,000 employees understand that, in the right hands and with the right context, our diagnostic insights can inspire actions that transform lives. www.QuestDiagnostics.com.

Quest Diagnostics Contacts:
Denny Moynihan (Media): 973-520-2800
Shawn Bevec (Investors): 973-520-2900

Safeway Contact:
Teena Massingill, 925-226-5820, teena.massingill@Safeway.com

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SOURCE Quest Diagnostics