Media Coverage

The human brain has a unique ability to take in information, block out unnecessary data, analyze it and issue a motor response—all within fractions of a second. It is one of the many reasons why humans are at the top of the food chain.[CR-LF][CR-LF]But the ability to process information, make a quick decision and act accordingly can be affected when under the influence of marijuana. All the steps involved in decision making slow down, which can—in some cases—cause catastrophic, unintended effects.

Mayor Erin Stewart held a ribbon cutting ceremony Monday afternoon for Quest Diagnostics’ newest Patient Service Center at One Grove Place.

Quest Diagnostics, a leading provider of diagnostic information services, and Memorial Hermann Health System, a leading not-for-profit health system that includes 17 hospitals and more than 300 care delivery sites in the Greater Houston region, announced a multi-pronged, long-term collaboration intended to broaden access to innovative, high-value laboratory services for providers and patients in Greater Houston.[CR-LF][CR-LF]Quest and Memorial Hermann have executed a definitive agreement for Quest to acquire select assets which constitute substantially all the operations of Memorial Hermann Diagnostic Laboratories (MHDL), the outreach laboratory division of Memorial Hermann. The acquisition includes nearly 30 MHDL patient service centers and nearly 60 in-office laboratory service sites. These services will transition to the Quest Diagnostics full-service laboratory in Houston. Upon closing, Quest will also provide professional laboratory management services through a multi-year agreement for all of Memorial Hermann's 21 hospital laboratories, which provide onsite rapid response testing. Memorial Hermann will continue to wholly own these labs.

Quest Diagnostics today reported a 5 percent year-over-year rise in revenues for the fourth quarter, beating the consensus expectation from Wall Street analysts.[CR-LF][CR-LF]Revenue for the three months ended Dec. 31, 2019 was $1.93 billion, up from $1.84 billion in the same quarter last year. The consensus Wall Street estimate was $1.92 billion.[CR-LF][CR-LF]Test volumes grew 4 percent during the quarter with revenue per test growing a little more than 1 percent.[CR-LF][CR-LF]During a conference call following release of the results, Quest Chairman, President, and CEO Steve Rusckowski, said that expanded access to healthcare plan networks combined with good operational execution allowed the company to counter what he called "significant reimbursement pressure."

Companies, we all know, need to make a profit to prosper and survive. Making a buck, after all, is important to investors, employees and vendors. But over the years, executives have come to realize that they need to do much more. That is, by giving back to the communities they operate in and standing up as good neighbors and citizens.[CR-LF][CR-LF]Newsweek partnered with global data research firm Statista Inc. to publish our first ranking of America's Most Responsible Companies. As you will see from our description of the methodology, Statista worked from a universe of 2000 public companies to determine which firms were tops when it came to doing good. Quest Diagnostics is number 164.

A new study provides a look at the levels of such similarity between married partners when it comes to their heart health, in hopes of finding ways to lead more people to be like the Kellys.[CR-LF][CR-LF]Researchers examined five years of biometric measurements and blood test data from 5,364 couples. The researchers then charted how each partner measured up against seven modifiable risk factors for heart disease (smoking, exercise, diet, body mass index, blood pressure, total cholesterol and fasting glucose) and for overall cardiovascular health.

Quest Diagnostics and Memorial Hermann Health System, a leading not-for-profit health system that includes 17 hospitals and more than 300 care delivery sites in the Greater Houston region, today announced a multi-pronged, long-term collaboration intended to broaden access to innovative, high-value laboratory services for providers and patients in Greater Houston.

Doctors worry that a second drug epidemic is on the horizon, according to a recent survey. We’re still amid the opioid crisis, but 62 percent of the primary care physicians queried say it’s likely to morph into a whole new emergency, this time fueled by prescription drug misuse.[CR-LF][CR-LF]Physicians in that survey, conducted by the Center on Addiction and Quest Diagnostics, were focused on people in chronic pain who, deprived of opioids, may find relief by turning to other prescription drugs such as benzodiazepines like Valium. That’s a critical concern, but there’s another important issue that requires our urgent attention: Too many teens and young adults don’t understand that the drugs we count on to treat our medical problems can be dangerous if misused.

Quest Diagnostics today announced that it has acquired Blueprint Genetics in an all-cash equity transaction. Blueprint Genetics is a leading specialty genetic testing company with deep expertise in gene variant interpretation based on next generation sequencing (NGS) and proprietary bioinformatics. Together, Quest and Blueprint Genetics will broaden access to actionable insights in genetic and rare diseases, improving patient care and pharmaceutical drug research and development. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

You decided to screen workers for drug use because you want to maintain a safe and productive workplace. But what should you do when workers flunk the test? Should employees be fired, given another chance or referred to an employee assistance program? Employment attorneys say consistency is the key.[CR-LF][CR-LF]"Employers should have strong policies in place addressing whether or under what circumstances they will engage in dialogue with an employee or applicant who fails a drug test," said Jill Vorobiev, an attorney with Reed Smith in Chicago. Policies also should take into account any state laws that may apply to failed drug tests and whether the employer might need to make reasonable accommodations for workers with disabilities, she said.