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Human resource executives and other C-Suite leaders are grappling with unprecedented strain caused by “The Great Resignation” wage inflation and, more recently, concerns about a potential future recession. Never has the challenge of keeping employees healthy, safe and engaged been more fraught. While these complex issues elude an easy fix, a recent survey from Quest Diagnostics suggests HR executives are overlooking the retention power of a perk they already provide: health benefits. According to 1,269 HR executives and employees surveyed, 36% of employees who were thinking of leaving their jobs cited a desire for better healthcare benefits as a top reason.

Quest Diagnostics announced Nov. 28 that it completed its acquisition of LabCare Plus, the outreach laboratory services business of Ohio-based Summa Health.

Oncologist and Vice President of Medical Affairs at Quest Diagnostics, Dr. Yuri Fesko, talks about why shortening this gap is critical to ensuring better patient outcomes and shared steps hospitals, health systems and physicians can take now to reduce testing delays, improve outcomes and lower costs of care.

During the last 15 years, researchers have become increasingly interested in developing blood tests that provide a window into the brain. Today, three tests — by C2N Diagnostics, Quest Diagnostics and Quanterix — are on the market, with more on the way. C2N debuted a test two years ago based on discoveries by Washington University scientists. Tests by Quest and Quanterix entered the market this year. None is covered by Medicare. Other companies, including Eli Lilly and Roche, have developed tests or are working on them. Next-generation tests are on the way. C2N charges $1,250 for its test and offers financial assistance for eligible patients. Quest, which charges $500, said some health plans are paying for the test. Quanterix declined to disclose a price but said its test is much cheaper than specialized scans. All the companies are trying to secure broader insurance coverage.

Continued staffing shortages, more industry consolidation, and the growing ubiquity of at-home testing are just a few of the predictions that clinical laboratory experts are making for 2023. CLP recently asked clinical laboratory industry experts to weigh in on their predictions for the coming year. Following, in no particular order, are the top 10 predictions for 2023.

“There is room for error, particularly with at-home testing,” Dr. Jeffrey Dlott, senior medical director of diagnostics services at Quest Diagnostics, told Healthline. “Drawing one’s own blood can be daunting and anxiety-ridden for many. And if it’s not done right, results can be inconclusive and require the collection process to be repeated. For many, a blood draw by a trained phlebotomist may be preferred over pricking one’s own finger at home.”

Quest Diagnostics is broadening access to its multiplex test to detect flu and COVID-19, letting patients self-collect samples for the test at its 1,600 testing centers across the U.S. Previously, patients had to make an appointment at a testing site, where they were swabbed by a clinician.

Jim Davis, who helped lead the Quest Diagnostics response to the COVID-19 pandemic, officially assumed the role of CEO and president Tuesday morning, succeeding the retiring Steve Rusckowski. Davis also was elected to the company’s board of directors. Davis, who came to Quest in 2013 as senior vice president of diagnostics solutions, has served as executive vice president for general diagnostics since 2017.

Employers are in the business of supporting employee health. According to the Society for Human Resource Management’s 2022 Employer Benefits Survey, nearly half of employers consider wellness benefits a significantly important offering. But striking the balance between helping employees without overreaching into employee privacy can be tricky. HR Dive spoke with Steven Goldberg, MD, MBA, vice president and chief health officer, employee and population health, at Quest Diagnostics about how the company has managed efforts directed at employee health — while also respecting worker privacy.

Leading brands are well-oiled marketing machines. You can’t become a household name without it. But a select subset of brands are taking that expertise and the size of their platforms, and using them to bring awareness to important issues or raise money for critical causes.

QUEST FOR HEALTH EQUITY: As a brand most Americans only think about when they’re getting their blood drawn or urine tested, Quest Diagnostics moved to play a larger role in addressing health disparities in underserved communities when it established Quest for Health Equity at the end of 2020. Since then, the organization has partnered with religious leaders, health experts, and community organizations nationwide to push COVID-19 education, testing, and vaccination through Black religious organizations. Quest for Health Equity also worked to help Puerto Ricans with Long COVID, establishing the island’s first clinic focused specifically on Long COVID, helping more than 2,400 patients since opening in 2021.

Though countless diagnostic developers struck it rich at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of those that were relatively new to the testmaking game are now struggling to make up for lost sales as the spread of the virus slows down. Not so for established testing giants like Quest Diagnostics, which has seen its base business rebound in direct relation to dropping COVID-related earnings.

Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Thursday: Tesla Inc., down $14.76 to $207.28. The electric vehicle maker warned it could miss its target of 50% annual growth in deliveries this year. Quest Diagnostics Inc., up $8 to $134.66. The medical laboratory chain’s third-quarter earnings and revenue beat analysts’ forecasts.

Decode Health has announced a new phase of its collaboration with Quest Diagnostics. In earlier phases of the collaboration, the two parties developed RNA (transcriptome) sequencing capabilities.

Recent research shows more messaging about cancer screening is needed. This is because diagnoses of prostate and breast cancer remain significantly below pre-pandemic levels. While this may sound like good news, it's not. The lower figures are due to a reverberating trend stemming from the pandemic. Based on data from 1.1 million patients, a Quest Diagnostics' analysis found cancer diagnoses plummeted nearly 30% in the first months of the pandemic in 2020, when much of society and healthcare were shuttered.

Quest Diagnostics said it recently joined forces with a free H.O.P.E. Clinic in Plainfield operated by Rutgers University to help reduce health disparities in a community with a high percentage of uninsured adults by providing free lab services. Not only is this helping people with chronic conditions receive the treatments they need, but it also is helping to keep health care costs down by giving people an alternative to emergency departments.

Recent research suggests a mainstay of HR strategy—benefits, particularly those related to employee healthcare—is underrecognized for its potential to influence recruitment and retention. According to the 2022 Health at Work report from Quest Diagnostics, workers at companies with 1,000 or more employees say the quality of a company’s benefits for physical and mental health largely defines its attractiveness as an employer of choice. When asked to cite the top two factors for attracting and retaining workers, half (50%) cited comprehensive health insurance, making it the highest rated factor. And this makes sense given how expensive, complex and critical healthcare is for employees in the U.S.

Alarming: A new study from Quest Diagnostics has found that cancer diagnosis dropped 11.2% below pre-pandemic levels between April 2021 and March 2022, and breast cancer diagnosis fell even further, by 17%. This suggests that women are still delaying mammograms, meaning thousands could be living with undiagnosed breast cancer. Here's when you should get your first mammogram.

Faced with a shortfall in applicants, employers across the U.S. are balancing pressure to ease up on testing for a legal drug with concerns that this could impact safety and raise issues of liability. The challenge of balancing workplace safety and the growing prevalence — and legalization — of some types of drugs is especially acute for manufacturers and others who use dangerous equipment. Data from Quest Diagnostics, which handles testing for companies, shows a steady increase in positivity rates for marijuana tests over the past decade — coinciding with the wave of legalization. In 2012, only 1.9% of workers not subject to federally mandated drug testing requirements failed a pre-employment screening. Last year, that had grown to 4.1%. The jump in positive tests after accidents grew even more during that period, up from 2.4% to 6.7%.

The first EUA for a proprietary monkeypox test was issued to Quest Diagnostics, Secaucus, NJ, on Sept. 7, 2022. “It’s an important step in identifying, treating, and, hopefully, eradicating monkeypox as we go forward,” says Damian “Pat” Alagia III, MD, MS, MBA, FACS, FACOG, chief clinical officer for health systems as well as the senior medical director for advanced diagnostics and women’s health for Quest Diagnostics. “About the time we got the EUA, we started to see a flattening of the curve of the trajectory of the disease, primarily because, concurrent with the EUA, we saw vaccinations starting to go up in the at-risk populations.”

Under the agreement, Quest's laboratories in Twinsburg and Pittsburgh will provide testing for physicians and patients of the outreach lab services business, known as LabCare Plus. Summa Health will continue to wholly own and operate its hospital labs.

With an increase in usage, and an increase in some states restricting employee testing, how will companies balance rights and safety? People are testing positive for drug use in the manufacturing sector at a higher rate. The most recent Quest Diagnosis Drug Testing Index survey found that from 2020 to 2021 overall positivity, which includes a number of drugs, increased by 4.5%. Looking at that number from 2017-2021 it was an increase of 28.6%. This survey is based on more than 11 million drug tests and covers a variety of industries, however, for this article, the data comes specifically from the manufacturing industry. “The largest driver for the increase is due to marijuana,” says Barry Sample, Ph.D., Senior Science Consultant for Quest Diagnostics.

Dr. Jeffrey Dlott shares lessons 1 year after the National Kidney Foundation removed race from the kidney function equation. Since the COVID-19 pandemic first began, gaps in care across the United States have magnified exponentially. Long-standing disparities affecting different racial and ethnic subpopulations reached the forefront of public consciousness, with COVID-19 demonstrating the critical role of social determinants of health on care and outcomes.

One day you’re in active treatment for breast cancer, and the next you’re not. You may have expected to feel “normal” at this point, but it’s not happening. Not physically and not emotionally. Because the initial focus is on treatment, the aftereffects can come as quite a shock. While everyone’s experiences are different, this article will cover some common challenges of life after breast cancer. Dr. Yuri Fesko is an oncologist and senior medical director of oncology and pharma services at Quest Diagnostics. He told Healthline that side effects can develop months or even years after treatment ends. “Each patient’s experience is unique, so even if two individuals share the same diagnosis and received the same treatment, how their bodies cope and the side effects they experience or are impacted by can be completely different.”

When Quest Diagnostics Inc. acquired Cleveland HeartLab in 2017, some people figured the small heart disease test developer's days in Cleveland were numbered. Instead, the large medical testing company, based in Secaucus, New Jersey, invested in the Cleveland Clinic spinoff, doubling its footprint to 22,000 square feet and increasing employee headcount to 240 at a facility in Cleveland's MidTown neighborhood.

Hound Labs announced an agreement with Quest Diagnostics, the world's leading provider of diagnostic information services, establishing Quest as the exclusive provider of laboratory services for confirmatory testing of positive breath sample results generated by the HOUND® CANNABIS BREATHALYZER, used by employers on location as an objective measure to detect and deter cannabis use during the workday.

Data released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services shows massive boosts in the use of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our digital health company, Pack Health, also saw a surge in the use of our telehealth options over the last two years, including one-to-one health coaching.

The US Department of Health and Human Services announced on Wednesday that it has authorized the Food and Drug Administration to issue emergency use authorizations for monkeypox tests. The agency has issued the first EUA for a monkeypox test to Quest Diagnostics, the FDA said in a separate announcement.

Quest Diagnostics announced August 17th the launch of a new obstetrics laboratory test panel which will help physicians screen all eligible pregnant people easily and reliably for hepatitis C (HCV) along with tests typically ordered during early pregnancy.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, we at Quest Diagnostics had begun the process of moving lab operations in our Northeast region to a new, state-of-the-art facility in Clifton, New Jersey. In January 2021, we started processing samples (both COVID-19 related and others) in the new facility — one of the largest medical laboratories globally.

Responding is Barry Sample, senior science consultant, Quest Diagnostics, Seneca, SC.

Delta-9 THC – the psychoactive compound that gives marijuana users a high – is a real risk to workplace safety and isn’t the benign, harmless substance it may be believed to be by many Americans.

The idea of patient-centric, personalized, and at-home medicine is no longer a theory, let alone a wild idea whipped up by the imagination of Hanna-Barbera cartoonists from 60 years ago. It’s precisely the type of healthcare that Jay G. Wohlgemuth, MD. senior vice president, R&D, medical and chief medical officer at Quest Diagnostics, thinks is just at our fingertips. In his eyes, a healthcare system with a seamless, highly engaging, and online medical experience around preventative and chronic care is not out of reach.

Vitamin D is a vital nutrient that helps our body absorb calcium and phosphorus, which are essential in building strong bones. In addition, Harvard Health states, "Laboratory studies show that vitamin D can reduce cancer cell growth, help control infections and reduce inflammation. Getting enough vitamin D can be a challenge for some because few foods naturally contain the nutrient and working from home or an office can limit one's time to go outside and grab some sunshine, which is another way to get vitamin D. Supplements are another option and Eat This, Not That! Health spoke with Dr. Jeffrey Dlott, Senior Medical Director of QuestDirect who explained what to know about vitamin D before taking it.

Although hepatitis C screening rates for pregnant people have increased since the advent of new guidelines recommending universal screening during each pregnancy, less than half received the recommended tests in early 2021, according to study results published in Obstetrics and Gynecology. People insured through Medicaid were even less likely to be screened. “Our Health Trends study underscores the power of medical guidelines to favorably influence screening rates for diseases such as hepatitis C,” Harvey Kaufman, MD, senior medical director for Quest Diagnostics in Secaucus, New Jersey, said in a press release. “Yet it also reveals that gaps in guideline-based care are prevalent and highlights the urgent need to close them in underserved populations."

Quest Diagnostics is launching a multi-faceted initiative to provide better healthcare among America’s large and growing Hispanic community. The new initiative, “Es Tu Poder,” is being launched in San Antonio, Houston, Austin, Rio Grande Valley, and other communities with large Hispanic populations in the Southwest, is designed to empower better health for Hispanics. The initiative includes the launch of a new microsite, Es Tu Poder, reminding patients that good health is within their power.

In a Healio video exclusive, Harvey Kaufman, MD, senior medical director at Quest Diagnostics, highlighted the need for concurrent hepatitis B and latent tuberculosis testing to mitigate the risk for drug-induced liver injury.

Even as the COVID-19 pandemic has taken center stage during the past two years, sexually transmitted diseases have also run rampant. To stem the rise in cases, they said a greater emphasis need to be placed on testing. Damian Alagia, senior medical director for advanced diagnostics and women's health at Quest Diagnostics, noted that there are many hurdles to getting a home test to commercialization, namely regulatory approval and payment models with insurers.

Lyme disease is an infectious disease spread by the bite of infected blacklegged ticks (also known as deer ticks) that carry the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, explains Harvey Kaufman, M.D., senior medical director of Medical Informatics at Quest Diagnostics. “It’s the most commonly occurring vector-borne disease in the United States,” he says.

Overall positivity rates in urine drug tests in the transportation/warehousing industry increased 4.4% in 2020 versus 5.5% in 2021 – a relative 25% increase year over year – according to data compiled by medical lab Quest Diagnostics. Almost 130,000 truck drivers have found themselves in the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse as of June 1. Nearly 97,000 are still in prohibited status, and 72,000 of those haven’t even started the return to duty process.

Rite Aid is collaborating with Quest Diagnostics to provide access to COVID molecular testing to help its customers detect and prevent the spread of the virus. Quest is a provider of diagnostic information services and COVID testing. The company has performed more than 69 million COVID-19 molecular tests since March 2020.

Dr. Michael Racke is the Medical Director at Quest Advanced Neurology, which is extending the options for neurologic diagnoses by looking for biomarkers in blood tests. Michael explains, "And now, we're very much involved in developing plasma-based biomarkers to help diagnose Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease was a disorder that was initially diagnosed pathologically. You had to find the plaque and tangles in the brain at autopsy.

Quest Diagnostics said Wednesday that its proprietary monkeypox virus test is now available across the U.S., and within a month, it will be able to process samples using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s orthopoxvirus test.

Alzheimer’s Disease prevention and identification may become more achievable with emerging solutions, according to Michael Racke, MD, Medical Director of Neurology at Quest Diagnostics. On a recent Healthcare Strategies episode, Racke shared about a new test called AD Detect which uses a blood sample to identify the presence of Alzheimer’s Disease early in the disease’s progress.

The following is a guest article by Tom Romeo, General Manager of Healthcare IT at Quest Diagnostics. With a consistent approach, healthcare professionals can increase efficiency, timeliness and legibility, and better consistency and completeness of patient documentation. Ultimately, these benefits can also improve patient care and quality of service. Specifically, Intelligent Data Capture (IDC) is a tool that can help save time and money – and therefore improve care – by innovatively processing, classifying, extracting, validating and routing materials.

Quest Diagnostics said Thursday that it is participating in the CDC's Increasing Community Access to Testing (ICATT) for COVID-19 program. Through the program, Quest will provide $0 out-of-pocket COVID-19 testing to qualifying uninsured individuals at roughly 1,200 of the company's 2,100 patient service centers.

As healthcare workers continue to leave the industry at startling rates, health systems must find more effective ways to attract and retain employees. In a June Becker's Hospital Review webinar sponsored by Quest Diagnostics, three healthcare executives discussed current workforce challenges, creative attraction and retention strategies and the results that have been achieved. And how intentional initiatives that focus on helping employees feel like they belong, have a career advancement path, and focus on wellness have also been proven to be effective.

Following updated hepatitis C virus screening recommendations issued in 2020, HCV screening in pregnancy accelerated across the country, according to a retrospective cohort study published in Obstetrics & Gynecology. “We wanted to see whether or not the revised guidelines — which came out during the COVID-19 pandemic — had an impact in changing physician [HCV screening] ordering patterns,” Harvey W. Kaufman, MD, MBA, FCAP, a senior medical director at Quest Diagnostics in Secaucus, New Jersey, told Healio.

Quest Diagnostics has been recognized by the American Heart Association to receive their 2022 Award for Meritorious Achievement for our commitment to health care equity. Quest is removing barriers to health care for people in under-served communities and encouraging diversity in health care professionals through sponsorship of the AHA’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities Scholars Program and the Hispanic Serving Institutions Scholars Program.

There has been substantial progress in the proportion of pregnant persons screened for hepatitis C virus, but the testing rates are still low, according to an article published in Obstetrics & Gynecology. Harvey W. Kaufman, M.D., from Quest Diagnostics in Secaucus, New Jersey, and colleagues examined the effect of the 2020 U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendations on HCV screening among pregnant persons.

While there have been opportunities to apply digital pathology technologies for some time for secondary consultations, training and educational settings, and to review cases involving specialty stains, the ability to use digital pathology for a primary read is fairly new,” noted Kristie Dolan, vice president and general manager of oncology at Quest Diagnostics.

A joint study conducted by Quest Diagnostics and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found that while the rate of hepatitis C (HCV) antibody screening increased 145% in pregnant people during the decade-long study period ending in June 2021, less than half of all pregnant people were screened in early 2021.

In 2020, Covid-19 prompted a delay of non-urgent in-person medical care and concurrently exacerbated contributors to substance use disorders, including job loss, economic hardship and mental health issues. A Health Trends report from Quest Diagnostics found that 70% of physicians fear they missed signs of drug misuse during the pandemic, and the large majority fear overdose deaths will continue to rise even as the pandemic subsides.

Governor Kathy Hochul today recognized Choose Healthy Life for its work during the pandemic for offering COVID-19 testing and vaccinations through its Black churches across the five boroughs of New York. The state’s commitment is part of a public-private collaboration that includes funding support from founding CHL partner Quest Diagnostics Foundation to hire the church-based community health workforce that has been established in New York and engaging the underserved communities in preventive care and wellness.

Quest for Health Equity (Q4HE) and several Quest employees participated in an Earth Day weekend community event with the Black Church Food Security Network; an association of congregations, farmers, food advocates, and community activists working together to create an alternative food system in the Baltimore metropolitan area.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, at Quest Diagnostics, we were in the midst of challenging what a traditional lab looked like to enhance quality, capacity, and efficiency while improving the employee experience. We remained committed to moving our East Region lab operations from our legacy lab in Teterboro, NJ, to Clifton, NJ, despite the pandemic challenges. The Clifton lab was built for our employees, with our employees.

As drugs to treat Alzheimer's disease come to market, led by the US Food and Drug Administration approval of Biogen's Aduhelm nearly a year ago, diagnostic tests to detect the disease are following suit. Blood-based biomarker tests have gained particular prominence, as they're less invasive and cheaper than both PET imaging and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarker testing – two current standards of care for patients presenting with Alzheimer's symptoms. Michael Racke, medical director for neurology at Quest Diagnostics, said in an interview that plasma tests are beneficial because they can be used to screen patients who are "normal cognitively" and may be candidates for intervention before they decline.

"Allergy and Omicron symptoms may mimic one another," Jeffrey Dlott, MD, senior medical director at Quest Diagnostics, told Health. "Because of this, someone may confuse COVID symptoms for allergy symptoms and not take the proper precautions to reduce spread." Here's what to know about how similar Omicron symptoms can look compared to allergies, and steps to take to confirm either diagnosis.

Liquid biopsy is proving itself as both an efficacious and cost-effective way to provide a cancer diagnosis to patients. However, to fully realize its potential there will need to be a paradigm shift with a focus on primary care physicians and collaboration across the healthcare enterprise. By Yuri Fesko, MD

Springtime can be a beautiful time of year. Flowers are blooming, trees are budding, and vibrant colors are simply popping out all over. If you deal with seasonal allergies, though, the side effects aren't too pretty. We spoke with Dr. Jeffrey Dlott, Medical Director, QuestDirect to get the lowdown on the ugly side effects of seasonal allergies.

By predicting which individuals are most likely to require therapies for chronic kidney disease within the next year, health plans can better organize resource allocation to smooth or delay the transition for the patient, according to Rehan Waheed, MD of Quest Diagnostics.

The rate of positive drug test results among America’s workforce in 2021 reached its highest level since 2001 and was up more than 30% in the combined workforce from an all-time low in 2010-2012, Quest Diagnostics’ annual Drug Testing Index found. Although year-over-year comparisons showed only small increases in 2021 over 2020, Quest said it rose substantially over the previous five years in most drug categories.

A Harris Poll conducted by Quest Diagnostics suggests that more than 65% of US physicians believe the Alzheimer disease field is on the cusp of a breakthrough, with more than 80% noting that earlier evaluation with blood testing may help improve therapeutic approaches.

"2022 Health at Work" report from Quest Diagnostics reveals the attitudes and expectations of HR executive decision makers (HREs) and employees about the changing world of work, employee health and COVID-19, and what it takes to compete for today's scarcest resource–people.

A majority of physicians believe medicine is on the verge of groundbreaking new treatments for Alzheimer's disease, according to research from Quest Diagnostics.

While value-based care contracts have long played a role in the lab industry, recent comments by Quest Diagnostics executives suggest that such arrangements are growing more prominent and more profitable.

As millions of U.S. employees voluntarily resign and employers desperately scramble to find workers, a new survey suggests employee health strategy might be critical not only to keeping employees well but also keeping them at work. The “2022 Health at Work” report, released by Quest Diagnostics, addresses such hot-button topics as the changing world of work, employee health, and COVID-19.

Digital pathology is here to stay – and we need to embrace it. About the Author: Martin Potash is Managing Director of AmeriPath Denver, Quest Diagnostics, Colorado, USA.

Testing giant Quest Diagnostics is diving into the market for blood tests that aid in the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease. The disease afflicts millions of people around the world. But early detection typically relies on costly methods such as brain imaging and cerebrospinal fluid taps. Blood tests like the one developed by Quest promise to make detection easier, less costly and more accessible.

Testicular cancer is highly treatable when diagnosed before reaching advanced stages, and like most cancers, early detection is key in helping to combat it. It’s recommended that males perform routine self-testicular exams, especially between the ages of 18 and 40, and pay close attention to any new findings such as changes of size of the testicle, differences with new firm areas or bumps that have not been there before. "Whether you’re regularly going to the doctor’s office or not, anyone with testicles should administer an at-home check every month or so,” said Dr. Jeffrey Dlott, the medical director of QuestDirect.

Returning guest, Dr. Jeffrey Dlott, Medical Director at QuestDirect, discusses the new “Future of Personalized Healthcare Insights Study 2022” that was conducted by Leaf Group in collaboration with QuestDirect and Well+Good. The study provides a deeper understanding of perceptions and preferences around telehealth, health data usage, and tech adoption, as well as ways to improve a patient’s healthcare journey.

Some in the clinical lab space are concerned that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recently updated draft guidelines for prescribing opioids downplays the role of toxicology testing in patient monitoring and management. Jeff Gudin, an anesthesiologist and pain management specialist at the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine as well as senior medical advisor to Quest Diagnostics' drug monitoring and toxicology franchise, said that toxicology testing is essential to physician's understanding of what other drugs might be in a patient's system and whether or not they are using their medication as prescribed.

The rate of American workers testing positive for cocaine and marijuana is at its highest point since 2001, according to an analysis from Quest Diagnostics. The Quest study is based on more than 11 million de-identified urine, hair and oral fluid drug test results collected between January and December 2021.

Quest Diagnostics, as part of its Quest for Health Equity initiative, is providing a grant for SAT college prep and AP courses for 300 students who are economically disadvantaged. Through conversations with the city of Marlborough's mayor's office and the Marlborough Economic Development Corporation, Quest became aware of the large number of high school students who do not have access to college-prep programs due to financial hardship.

Quest Diagnostics announced a collaboration with IRIS (Intelligent Retinal Imaging Systems) to deliver diabetic retinal imaging services through designated Quest Diagnostics patient service centers across the United States to aid in screening patients for retinal assessment by a healthcare provider, according to a news release.

Jay Wohlgemuth, chief medical officer at Quest Diagnostics, said competing laboratories, manufacturers and academics are working together to compile data and come up with messaging for how to use the test results that federal regulators will approve.

Through a thoughtful agrarian-focused program with roots in one of the nation’s poorest communities in the South Bronx, the Green Bronx Machine cultivates a one-of-a-kind experience through hands-on activities related to planting, growing, cooking, and eating nutritious food. This spring, GBM is expanding its reach as they team up with the Quest Diagnostics Foundation, as part of the Quest for Health Equity (Q4HE) initiative, expanding the esteemed Green Bronx Machine Classroom Curriculum to 30 more schools in New York, Colorado, and Ohio reaching 15,000 additional students across the US.

Quest Diagnostics recently surveyed over 500 physicians in coordination with The Harris Poll to uncover attitudes about the rising drug overdose crisis and the role of clinical drug testing in safely prescribing opioids. A key theme emerged from the findings: physicians believe clinical drug testing is critical for managing opioids and other prescribed controlled medications, but feel clearer guidelines are needed to help optimize its use.

Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Now, an expanded collaboration between Quest Diagnostics and IRIS (Intelligent Retinal Imaging Systems) aims to increase convenience and improve screening rates for this condition.

As society begins to open back up again, we wanted to know your thoughts on health care and what you personally need to live fully. So together with QuestDirect™—a service from Quest Diagnostics® that makes it easy to buy lab tests online for at-home or in-person collection without visiting a doctor first—we asked Well+Good readers in a survey, and over 1,400 of you responded.

Working Americans tested positive for drugs last year at the highest rate in more than two decades, mostly due to an increase in positive marijuana tests, according to research from Quest Diagnostics.

Allergy responses start because you've come in contact with allergens, but a lot of them might be invisible to you, says Harvey Kaufman, MD, senior medical director at Quest Diagnostics, with a specialization in allergy testing. "Understanding the cause of your allergies and identifying sensitivity plays a pivotal role in managing seasonal allergies," Dr. Kaufman says.

Positive drug tests among U.S. workers hit the highest level since 2001 last year, according to an analysis released Wednesday by Quest Diagnostics, one of the largest drug-testing laboratories in the country.

The percentage of working Americans testing positive for drugs hit a two-decade high last year, driven by an increase in positive marijuana tests, as businesses might have loosened screening policies amid nationwide labor shortages. Of the more than six million general workforce urine tests that Quest Diagnostics Inc., one of the country’s largest drug-testing laboratories, screened for marijuana last year, 3.9% came back positive, an increase of more than 8% from 2020, according to Quest’s annual drug-testing index.

COVID-19 mandates in the U.S. are loosening or in some cases the restrictions are being eliminated. However, one thing that remains strong is the desire to understand more about the respiratory disease, which is caused by the SARS-CoV-2. To that end, the Centers of Disease and Control and Prevention has contracted Quest Diagnostics to employ a comprehensive menu of COVID-19 antibody tests and data analytics services to research the disease. Quest won the $19.5 million contract in a competitive bid.

The Quest Diagnostics Foundation has donated $500,000 to Project Health Opportunities for People Everywhere (HOPE) to aid humanitarian crisis relief for Ukraine and for Ukrainian refugees in Eastern Europe.

The Covid-19 pandemic has hastened consumers’ willingness to test for more medical conditions at home, test makers said, expanding the market for self-diagnostic products. Manufacturers are developing new types of at-home tests, including for flu and strep throat, aimed at consumers who are increasingly monitoring and managing their own health through fitness apps and smartwatches. Cathy Doherty, an executive at Quest in charge of the consumer-testing business, said Quest’s research shows that consumers are interested in a wider range of at-home tests, but many still prefer visiting a doctor’s office or testing center to make sure the tests are performed correctly.

Choose Healthy Life's lead church in Newark, Metropolitan Baptist Church and its Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. David Jefferson Sr. Esq., along with all the pastors from Choose Healthy Life churches in the city joined with the Mayor of Newark Ras Baraka and Choose Healthy Life Founder Debra Fraser-Howze to acknowledge the major contribution of the Black clergy to address the COVID-19 pandemic with testing and vaccination events. “We saw firsthand the disproportionate impact COVID-19 had on the Black community and the vast health inequities it unveiled,” said Ruth Clements, Vice President and General Manager of Infectious Diseases & Immunology and leader for Quest for Health Equity at Quest Diagnostics.

Serving consumers interested in ordering their own clinical laboratory tests is a goal in an expanded collaboration involving Quest Diagnostics and Walmart. This is also consistent with The Dark Report’s prediction that retail pharmacies are poised to expand the diagnostic testing services they offer to customers. The development gives Quest a greater chance to meet patients online while also capitalizing on the growing familiarity of consumer-initiated testing, said Cathy Doherty, Senior Vice President and Group Executive of Clinical Franchise Solutions and Marketing at Quest.

Businesses are in a hiring spree in the middle of what’s called “the Great Resignation.” Meanwhile, they’re also working to keep their current employees by conducting the opposite of an exit interview. The number one reason employees stay or leave is how much they trust their immediate supervisor. It's a message that resonated with Cecilia McKenney, the head of human resources for Quest's 50,000 employees.

A new study found an increasing amount of younger adults are being diagnosed with colorectal, rectal, and colon cancer. The research found those in their 20’s had a 133% increase in rectal-only, distant-stage cancer over a 16 year period. Doctors continue to encourage getting colon cancer screenings and talking to your doctor about family health history. Harvey Kaufman, M.D., senior medical director of Quest Diagnostics adds that colorectal cancer has a link to weight, and given adolescent obesity rates are on the rise, there could be a connection there.

Quest Diagnostics' longtime CEO Stephen Rusckowski seems to be taking the old adage to "quit while you're ahead" very seriously. On Thursday, the same day that it published a 2021 earnings report illustrating what was easily its strongest year yet, the lab testing giant announced that Rusckowski will step down from his place at the helm at the end of October.

Steve Rusckowski discusses how the omicron variant impacted Q4 earnings on 'The Claman Countdown.'

The at-home testing market is bigger than just Covid tests, and it's bigger than over-the-counter pregnancy tests. In fact, the emerging marketplace of consumer-initiated lab testing may be worth more than $2 billion by 2025, according to Quest Diagnostics.

Quest Diagnostics said Monday that it will offer consumer-initiated lab testing in collaboration with Walmart. Quest said it is making more than 50 tests, including those for general health, digestive health, allergy, heart health, women's health, and infectious disease, available at Walmart.com through its QuestDirect service.

Clinical laboratory Quest Diagnostics is launching an at-home COVID-19 rapid antigen test service that can certify results 24/7 via telehealth. The service enables the 15-minute self-administered Abbott BinaxNow COVID-19 home test to be used under observation from a certified telehealth proctor.

Quest Diagnostics will acquire the patient engagement company Pack Health, the organizations announced. "Quest Diagnostics and Pack Health have complementary capabilities that, when combined, will strengthen our ability to help health plans and other risk-bearing organizations deliver value-based care," Dermot Shorten, senior vice president of strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and ventures at Quest Diagnostics, wrote in an email.

Harvey Kaufman, MD, MBA, senior medical director at Quest Diagnostics, led a study for the company examining the impact of COVID-19 on prostate cancer screening and diagnoses. The results of the study are part of Quest Diagnostics Health Trends, which he has been involved with since it began in 2005 and now leads. CLP sat down with Kaufman prior to the Omicron surge to discuss the findings of the study and about the future of diagnostic testing in general.

Quest Diagnostics signaled an upbeat 2021 profit as COVID-19 testing volumes surged with the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant in the United States. Quest said it performed over 120,000 PCR tests per day in the last couple of weeks of 2021, and over 150,000 tests a day at the beginning of this year.

At-home COVID-19 antigen tests are in high demand, and for good reason. They're quick, convenient, and can help you contain the spread of the infection. That said, the FDA has acknowledged that certain rapid antigen tests may be less sensitive to the Omicron variant, prompting speculation that there's got to be a better way. "As more countries continue the double-swab method, it may impact future FDA and CDC guidelines for those of us in the US. But it's important to reiterate that this method is currently not authorized by the FDA," says Jeffrey Dlott, MD, the medical director of consumer health at Quest Diagnostics, which conducts testing for COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.

Quest Diagnostics, a diagnostic information services provider based in New Jersey, announced Dec. 14 it has acquired Labtech Diagnostics, an independent clinical diagnostic laboratory provider in Anderson, for an undisclosed sum.

A study published in JAMA Pediatrics this fall suggested that more than half of all US children have detectable levels of lead in their blood – and that elevated blood lead levels were closely associated with race, poverty and living in older housing. “Most American children are exposed to lead, a substance that is not safe at any level,” said co-author Dr Harvey Kaufman, a senior medical director at Quest Diagnostics, which led the study.