Media Coverage

The National Business Group on Health presented 50 employers with 2019 Best Employers: Excellence in Health & Well-Being awards at its Workforce Strategy 2019 Conference in San Diego this week.[CR-LF][CR-LF]Now in its 15th year, the Best Employers: Excellence in Health & Well-Being awards recognize employers with exceptional commitment to improving their employees’ overall well-being, productivity and quality of life. The awards program incorporates a wide range of well-being contributors including financial security, mental and physical health, social connectedness and community involvement. Quest Diagnostics is listed as a Gold member.

The rate of newly diagnosed acute and chronic hepatitis B virus infections in women of childbearing age has significantly increased in some Appalachian states, despite overall national rates that have declined or remained stable.[CR-LF][CR-LF]Researchers suggested that injection drug use and waning HBV vaccine effectiveness may be contributing to this trend. “Women of childbearing age represent a priority group for HBV viral elimination efforts due to the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HBV,” Harvey W. Kaufman, MD, MBA, FCAP, senior medical director of medical informatics at Quest Diagnostics, told Infectious Disease News. “Higher rates of acute and chronic HBV among women of childbearing age may increase the rates of HBV infection among infants.”

Quest Diagnostics confirmed it has been cleared in US District Court for the Central District of California Western Division of misappropriating trade secrets from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in developing a serological test for irritable bowel syndrome.[CR-LF][CR-LF]A jury last week determined that Quest did not steal trade secrets from Cedars-Sinai or breach its contract with the hospital when it developed an IBS test similar to one developed by Cedars-Sinai researchers.

Quest Diagnostics announced today that Manuel O. Méndez has been named Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer effective October 7, 2019.

Positive DOT drug tests will be tracked in the new Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse database.[CR-LF][CR-LF]Photo courtesy Quest Diagnostics.The federal Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse is finally rolling out in January 2020. This electronic database that will track commercial driver’s license holders who have tested positive for prohibited drug or alcohol use, as well as refusals to take required drug tests, and other drug and alcohol violations. In addition, when a driver who has been found to be in violation completes the required return-to-duty process, this information will also be recorded in the clearinghouse.[CR-LF][CR-LF]The clearinghouse has long been sought as a way to keep commercial drivers who have violated federal drug and alcohol rules from lying about those results and simply getting a job with another motor carrier.