The Choice of Leading Nationwide Health Information Network Contractors and Health Information Exchanges Connects Physicians to the Nation's Largest Provider Network

Visit MedPlus at HIMSS Booth 2362 in Chicago, April 5-9

CINCINNATI, April 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- MedPlus, the healthcare information technology subsidiary of Quest Diagnostics Incorporated , today introduced a suite of clinical portal and data exchange services for hospitals and health information exchanges that paves a new, faster path to health information technology (HIT) benefits. Built on the foundation of industry-leading technologies, the suite enables physicians to connect to the nation's largest healthcare provider network and collect, manage and share relevant patient information at the point of care.

Newly named Centergy™, the suite integrates and enhances the data aggregation and exchange technologies of the acquired FirstGateways HIT solutions and MedPlus' own proven data exchange, document capture and physician office technologies. It enables hospitals, integrated delivery networks (IDNs), health systems and health information exchanges (HIEs) to share data seamlessly across platforms, enabling unparalleled efficiencies and improved quality of care. MedPlus will demonstrate the technology at the Health Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS) conference in Chicago, April 5th - 9th at Booth 2362.

Centergy is currently used by Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN) contractors in California, New Mexico and New York, as well as by some of North America's largest health information exchanges (HIEs), including those in Ohio, New York and British Columbia. Regional Health Information Organizations (RHIOs) and hospitals can adopt the Centergy suite without complex IT implementation or wholesale restructure of business operations. Through Centergy, their physicians access a national network that includes more than 85 electronic medical record (EMR) vendors as well as more than 140,000 networked physicians using Quest Diagnostics' Care360™ connectivity services.

"Everyone talks interoperability but it is difficult to achieve," said Gilad J. Kuperman, M.D., Ph.D., Chairman of the Board of The New York Clinical Information Exchange (NYCLIX), Inc., which was an early user of MedPlus technology that became part of the Centergy suite. "In an era when implementation of an HIE is still considered a major accomplishment, thanks to MedPlus, NYCLIX has already demonstrated inter-HIE data exchange according to national standards. We have realized the benefits of digital information without the longtime horizon of other massive, integrated systems." NYCLIX is among the largest HIE's in the nation, with 8 of its 12 member hospitals operating in Manhattan, including Beth Israel Medical Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital, Mount Sinai Medical Center, and New York Presbyterian Hospital.

Authorized users of the Centergy services can easily share, access and manage at the point of care, relevant HIPAA-compliant clinical information, such as patient demographics, medication lists, allergies, advance directives, information on physicians treating the patient, and medical problem lists. The Care360 Physician Portal integrates seamlessly with the Centergy suite and supports clinical transactions for the physician office, such as lab ordering and resulting, ePrescribing and peer-to-peer messaging. Centergy addresses the reality that nearly 90 percent of healthcare data are still recorded on paper. It integrates seamlessly with MedPlus' ChartMaxx® 2008 Best in KLAS(1) Document Management and Imaging (DMI) solution, which facilitates the entry and availability of electronic patient information without requiring a disruptive full-scale conversion to a paperless system.

The Centergy Clinical Portal and Data Exchange Services are available under a variety of licensing and subscription models. They integrate with the Centergy Patient Portal, through which patients can manage their personal health records using a simple, familiar Web-based interface that enables them to share this information with select healthcare providers.

The importance of HIT interoperability and the challenges to adoption that healthcare providers face has gained heightened national attention in recent months, particularly in healthcare reform and economic recovery discussions. According to Richard Mahoney, MedPlus President and Quest Diagnostics Vice President, Health Information Solutions, "We see Centergy as a 'game-changer' for hospitals previously deterred by cost, IT, and workflow disruption barriers, and just the first of what we expect to be many MedPlus innovations designed to reduce barriers to HIT adoption. At Quest Diagnostics, we are committed to continuing to lead the industry in the strategic development and deployment of technologies that facilitate interoperability, drive meaningful adoption, and enhance the care that healthcare providers deliver to their patients."

For more information on MedPlus and its industry-leading HIT solutions, visit www.MedPlus.com, call 800.444.6235, email info@medplus.com, or visit MedPlus Booth 2362 at the Health Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS) conference in Chicago April 5th - 9th.

About MedPlus®

MedPlus, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, is the healthcare information technology subsidiary of Quest Diagnostics®. MedPlus 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 Centergy Clinical Portal & Data Exchange Engine and ChartMaxx® solutions efficiently and securely collect, store, manage and integrate clinical information within an organization, enterprise, practice or community. Centergy enables clinicians to access patient data in a centralized view aggregated from multiple care sites. ChartMaxx, the award-winning electronic patient record system, has been implemented in more than 120 hospitals and integrated healthcare delivery networks and has more than 300,000 users. For more information, visit www.medplus.com.

About Quest Diagnostics

Quest Diagnostics is the world's leading provider of diagnostic testing, information and services that patients and doctors need to make better healthcare decisions. The company offers the broadest access to diagnostic testing services through its network of laboratories and patient service centers, and provides interpretive consultation through its extensive medical and scientific staff. Quest Diagnostics is a pioneer in developing innovative diagnostic tests and advanced healthcare information technology solutions that help improve patient care. Additional company information is available at www.questdiagnostics.com.

(1) 2008 Top 20 Best in KLAS Awards: Software &

Professional Services report. © 2008 KLAS Enterprises, LLC. All rights reserved. www.KLASresearch.com.

SOURCE: Quest Diagnostics Incorporated

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