MedPlus Technology Driving Three New York Health Information Exchanges

CINCINNATI (Map) - CINCINNATI, Feb. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- MedPlus(R), the healthcare information technology subsidiary of Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE: DGX), announced today that it has begun installations of its Clinical Portal & Data Exchange Engine for three health information exchanges (HIE) qualified for HEAL NY (Healthcare Efficiency and Affordability Law for New Yorkers) Phase 1 grants. Operating individually, the HIEs will together facilitate electronic-based care for more than 100 hospitals and other healthcare organizations in New York.

Provider of the industry leading ChartMaxx(R) and Care360(TM) Physician Portal solutions, MedPlus has launched independent Clinical Portal & Data Exchange Engine implementations at Manhattan's New York Clinical Information Exchange (NYCLIX) and the Health Information Exchange of New York (HIXNY) in Albany. Installation has also begun at the Brooklyn Healthcare Information Exchange (BHIX) under an agreement announced by MedPlus in December 2007. Each system is a self-contained entity, aggregating and, at this time, sharing data only within the individual exchange. The long-range goal is for all New York HIEs to connect via the State Health Information Network of New York (SHIN- NY). All three systems will be operational in the third quarter 2008 as called for by HEAL NY.

Through the Clinical Portal & Data Exchange Engine solution, the HIEs will be able to easily aggregate and share authorized and approved patient data between their clinician practices. Individual physicians and healthcare workers can access and share authorized patient data across care settings via secure Internet-enabled workstations. Electronic access to specific patient information such as lab data, medication history and allergies will allow physicians to provide more effective care.

"MedPlus has a history of developing and integrating leading healthcare information technology for hospitals, physician practices and communities," said

Built upon flexible enterprise architecture, the Clinical Portal & Data Exchange Engine enables healthcare providers to make more informed decisions by providing secure, Web-enabled, real-time access to patient data. The engine is designed to serve a wide variety of enterprise, community and regional data sharing and integration initiatives. The engine uses a federated data model, which allows healthcare providers to control their patients' data while also making it readily accessible to other authorized members of a hospital or HIE. Robust data integration with sophisticated security and privacy functionality enables the collection, aggregation, distribution and analysis of patient data from multiple source systems, displayed via a consolidated portal view. The result is a virtual electronic medical record that integrates patient-specific data across multiple providers' inpatient and outpatient environment.

"MedPlus' unique value proposition is in our ability to scale a federated data model while still offering response times as fast as those associated with centralized systems," explained Mahoney. "The Clinical Portal & Data Exchange Engine can be deployed either in-house or on a hosted basis to meet the needs of organizations, health systems and HIEs throughout the United States and Canada."

About the New York Clinical Information Exchange (NYCLIX)

NYCLIX, Inc. is a New York State not-for-profit corporation whose mission is to create a clinical data exchange capability to improve patient care in the New York City region. NYCLIX's vision is a health care system in which innovative models of care enabled by interoperability facilitate patients' access to care, lead to improved quality, safety and efficiency of care, and increase consumer empowerment though improved access to information, all while preserving patient privacy. Incorporated in 2005, NYCLIX has received both Federal and New York State grants to support its work. NYCLIX's current membership includes 12 hospitals (8 of which are in Manhattan), the Visiting Nurse Service of New York, a federally qualified heath center, and a faculty practice organization. NYCLIX leadership includes clinical, technical, and informatics representatives from the largest provider organizations in New York City, as well as representatives from the region's businesses, public health departments, policy-making organizations, and consumer advocacy groups. More information about NYCLIX can be found at www.nyclix.org.

About the Brooklyn Health Information Exchange (BHIX)

The Brooklyn Health Information Exchange (BHIX), a New York not-for-profit organization, is building a secure system to streamline the flow of health information and improve the delivery of healthcare for the Brooklyn community. By removing gaps in patient health information at transition points across care settings, BHIX seeks to enhance the quality, safety and efficiency of healthcare and to improve patient and provider satisfaction. Current BHIX members include service providers across the continuum of care, including leading hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, home health providers, and payers. The BHIX participatory governance structure includes representatives of the consumer community and the New York City public health department as well as clinicians from the BHIX provider organizations, ensuring that clinical and patient care priorities lead the technical implementation and that policies governing the privacy, security and confidentiality of electronic health information are the result of a collective decision-making process. More information about BHIX will soon be available at www.bhix.org.

About the Health Information Exchange of New York (HIXNY)

HIXNY is a not-for-profit organization comprised of a diverse group of healthcare organizations that partner for the health of the community. HIXNY's growing membership of hospitals, insurers, health centers, primary care physicians, specialists, and safety net providers works together to more efficiently share medical information for the benefit of patients. A phased roll-out begins in July 2008, so that as patients move among HIXNY-connected providers, access to their medical information will move with them. As HIXNY evolves and expands, it will also invite patients both to view their personal health information online, and to contribute to it. To further promote quality and safety, HIXNY will offer electronic prescription ordering to give physicians a better way to order medications securely, and provide warnings if there are potential problems with other drugs or medical conditions. As a trusted provider of information and services, HIXNY works collaboratively to enable more certain, efficient, and better decisions at the point of care.

About MedPlus

MedPlus, based in Cincinnati, 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 Clinical Portal & Data Exchange Engine, ChartMaxx(R) and Care360(TM) solutions efficiently and securely collect, store, manage and integrate clinical information within an organization, enterprise, practice or community. Care360 is a patient-centric physician portal providing more than 120,000 physicians with tools to improve patient care and overall office efficiency. ChartMaxx, the award-winning electronic patient record system, has been implemented in more than 100 hospitals and integrated healthcare delivery networks and has more than 300,000 users. In September 2007, MedPlus acquired FirstGateways, a health information exchange system comprised of innovative technologies that enable healthcare providers to access and manage a range of patient data at the point of care. For more information, visit www.medplus.com.

About Quest Diagnostics

Quest Diagnostics is the 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 national 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 new diagnostic tests and advanced healthcare information technology solutions that help improve patient care. Additional company information is available at www.questdiagnostics.com.

The statements in this press release which are not historical facts may be forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date that they are made and which reflect management's current estimates, projections, expectations or beliefs and which involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and outcomes to be materially different. Risks and uncertainties that may affect the future results of the company include, but are not limited to, adverse results from pending or future government investigations, lawsuits or private actions, the competitive environment, changes in government regulations, changing relationships with customers, payers, suppliers and strategic partners and other factors discussed in "Business" in Part I, Item 1, "Risk Factors" and "Cautionary Statement for Purposes of the 'Safe Harbor' Provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995" in Item I, Part 1A, "Legal Proceedings" in Part I, Item 3, "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in Part II, Item 7 and "Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk" in Part II, Item 7A in the Quest Diagnostics 2006 Annual Report on Form 10-K and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and "Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk" in the company's 2007 Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other items throughout the Form 10-K and the company's 2007 Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K.