Media Coverage

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.