Press Release Details

Quest Diagnostics to Offer Laboratory Testing Services To More Than 500 Acute-Care Hospital Customers of Broadlane

02/27/2001

TETERBORO, N.J., and MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Feb. 27 /PRNewswire/ --

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE: DGX), the nation's leading provider of diagnostic laboratory testing, information and services, and Broadlane Inc., a leader in delivering supply chain services to the healthcare industry, today announced a long term agreement in which Quest Diagnostics will provide a range of laboratory services to Broadlane's customer base of more than 500 acute care hospitals. Broadlane's customers include Tenet Healthcare Corporation, Universal Health Services, Community Health Systems, IASIS Healthcare, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Kaiser Permanente and Continuum Health Partners, Inc.

The agreement, effective January 1, 2001, establishes Quest Diagnostics as the exclusive provider of diagnostic laboratory testing, information and services to Broadlane. All eligible hospitals may access the agreement. Previously, SmithKline Beecham Clinical Laboratories, which was acquired by Quest Diagnostics in August 1999, had a reference testing agreement directly with Tenet Healthcare Corporation.

"We are delighted to have this opportunity to continue to serve Broadlane customers and look forward to expanding into new markets as Broadlane grows," said Surya N. Mohapatra, Ph.D., President and Chief Operating Officer for Quest Diagnostics.

Under the agreement, Quest Diagnostics will offer a wide variety of services to Broadlane's customers. As the exclusive provider for reference laboratory testing services, Quest Diagnostics will provide world-class testing, customer service, specimen collection and courier service, and appropriate electronic interfaces to meet the needs of Broadlane's customers.

About Broadlane

Through an extensive suite of services, Broadlane delivers integrated expense management solutions to the healthcare industry. Those services include contracting, electronic commerce, expense management, data mining and reporting, and complete responsibility for the materials management function. Among the companies that focus on improving efficiencies within the healthcare supply chain, only Broadlane offers materials management services, innovative e-commerce technologies and integral group purchasing organization services to best meet the needs of its customers.

Formed in December 1999, Broadlane's customers include Tenet Healthcare Corporation, Universal Health Services, Community Health Systems, IASIS Healthcare, the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Kaiser Permanente and Continuum Health Partners, Inc. Broadlane has offices in San Francisco, Calif., and Dallas, Texas. For more information visit http://www.broadlane.com

About Quest Diagnostics

Quest Diagnostics is the nation's leading provider of diagnostic testing, information and services with $3.4 billion in annual revenues. The company's diagnostic testing yields information that enables health care professionals and consumers to make better decisions to improve health. Quest Diagnostics offers patients and physicians the broadest access to diagnostic testing services through its national network of approximately 30 full-service laboratories, 150 rapid response laboratories and 1,300 patient service centers, where specimens are collected. Quest Diagnostics is the leading provider of esoteric testing, including gene-based testing, and is the leader in routine medical testing, drugs of abuse testing, and anatomic pathology testing. Through partnerships with pharmaceutical, biotechnology and information technology companies, Quest Diagnostics provides support to help speed the development of health care insights and new therapeutics. Additional company information can be found on the Internet at: http://www.questdiagnostics.com.

The statements in this press release which are not historical facts or information may be forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause the outcome to be materially different. Certain of these risks and uncertainties are listed in the Quest Diagnostics Incorporated 1999 Form 10-K and subsequent filings. SOURCE Quest Diagnostics Incorporated

CONTACT: Media - Gary Samuels, 201-393-5700, samuelsg@questdiagnostics.com, or Investors - Cathy Doherty, 201-393-5030, dohertyc@questdiagnostics.com, both of Quest Diagnostics Incorporated; or David McAdam of Broadlane Media Relations, 650-903-5494, david.mcadam@broadlane.com/