Quest Diagnostics' MedPlus® Subsidiary Selected To Develop The Lab Information System For The Province of British Columbia's Electronic Health Record System
One of North America's largest electronic health networks will deliver better care at lower cost
PRNewswire-FirstCall
LYNDHURST, N.J.

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated today announced that its healthcare information technology subsidiary MedPlus, Inc., has been selected as a subcontractor by Sun Microsystems (B.C.) Inc., a subsidiary of Sun Microsystems of Canada Inc., and subcontractors to develop and implement a comprehensive electronic healthcare system that is expected to transform the way laboratory results and other essential patient information is securely shared only among healthcare practitioners in the province of British Columbia. The system will provide faster access to patient information, reducing wait times for procedures. It is also expected to lower healthcare costs by reducing the occurrence of re- tests.

In conjunction with Sun and its other subcontractors, MedPlus will design, build and implement the laboratory information system for British Columbia's Provincial Laboratory Information Solution (PLIS), an electronic healthcare system that will give authorized clinicians across the Province electronic access to laboratory tests and results from various laboratory service providers. Leveraging MedPlus' proprietary Care360™ Physician Portal and health information exchange infrastructure, the lab information system will feature a central repository of lab orders and results, a system for reporting test results, and a web-based laboratory domain viewer for the Province's eHealth infrastructure.

The British Columbia system will also include an interoperable Electronic Health Record (iEHR) system, which will integrate the Province's health data infrastructure, including the PLIS, providing healthcare workers access to primary care data and other clinical data from pharmacies, laboratories and diagnostic imaging systems. MedPlus will assist in the design of the iEHR as it pertains to the Province's laboratory information system. MedPlus will also provide technical documentation and training on the laboratory information system to physician offices and hospital and reference laboratories.

"Our track record of successfully managing millions of diagnostic test- related transactions each day through our Care360 Physician Portal in the U.S. makes us ideally suited to assist British Columbia in this ambitious endeavor," said Richard A. Mahoney, President, MedPlus, and Vice President, Healthcare Information Solutions, for Quest Diagnostics. "We have a large installed base with more than 700,000 users of Care360, a proven technology that is quickly integrated into existing physician office systems and provides secure, reliable management of patient information.

"We look forward to working with the project team to develop a system for the Province that incorporates our considerable expertise in implementing healthcare information exchange technologies that improve patient care," continued Mahoney.

The PLIS will be developed according to architecture and standards set forth by the Canada Health Infoway, an independent not-for-profit organization that invests with public sector partners across Canada to implement and reuse compatible health information systems.

All patient information will be protected by privacy measures that are among the strongest in Canada, and systems will comply with the Province's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act as well as the Personal Information Privacy Act. Patients' medical records will continue to be patient owned, and access to patient information will be restricted to those having a legal right and clear need to access the information or to access the systems where the information resides.

About Sun Microsystems (B.C.) Inc.

Sun Microsystems (B.C.) Inc. is a subsidiary of Sun Microsystems of Canada Inc. Sun Microsystems of Canada Inc. is headquartered in Markham, Ontario. The company, which employs more than 640 persons, has offices in Montreal, Ottawa, Calgary, Vancouver and Victoria. Sun products and services are also available through Sun Authorized Independent Marketing Organizations and Sun(SM) Partner Advantage Program partners across Canada. For more information, visit http://sun.ca/.

About MedPlus

MedPlus, the healthcare information technology subsidiary of Quest Diagnostics, is a leading developer and integrator of clinical connectivity and healthcare information exchange solutions that foster better patient care and improve business performance for healthcare institutions, physicians and patients. The company's Care360™ and ChartMaxx® solutions efficiently and securely collect, store, manage and integrate clinical information within an organization, enterprise, practice or community. Care360 is a patient-centric physician portal providing a network of more than 700,000 users with tools to improve patient care and overall office efficiency. ChartMaxx, the award- winning electronic health record solution, has been implemented in more than 120 hospitals and clinics with more than 125,000 clinical and administrative users. For more information, visit http://www.medplus.com/.

About Quest Diagnostics

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated is the nation's leading provider of diagnostic testing, information and services, providing insights that enable healthcare professionals to make decisions that improve health. The company offers the broadest access to diagnostic testing services through its national network of laboratories and patient service centers, and provides interpretive consultation through its extensive medical and scientific staff. Quest Diagnostics is the leading provider of esoteric testing, including gene-based medical testing, and provides advanced information technology solutions to improve patient care. For more information, visit http://www.questdiagnostics.com/.

The statements in this press release which are not historical facts or information may be forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and outcomes to be materially different. Certain of these risks and uncertainties may include, but are not limited to, competitive environment, changes in government regulations, changing relationships with customers, payers, suppliers and strategic partners and other factors described in the Quest Diagnostics Incorporated 2006 Form 10-K and subsequent filings.

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SOURCE: Quest Diagnostics Incorporated

CONTACT: For Quest Diagnostics: Laure Park (Investors), +1-201-393-5030
and Nancy Fitzsimmons (Media): +1-201-393-5700

Web site: http://www.questdiagnostics.com/