One of North America's largest electronic health networks will deliver better care at lower costIn conjunction with Sun and its other subcontractors, MedPlus will design,
build and implement the laboratory information system for British Columbia's
Provincial Laboratory Information Solution (PLIS), an electronic healthcare
system that will give authorized clinicians across the Province electronic
access to laboratory tests and results from various laboratory service
providers. Leveraging MedPlus' proprietary Care360(TM) Physician Portal and
health information exchange infrastructure, the lab information system will
feature a central repository of lab orders and results, a system for reporting
test results, and a web-based laboratory domain viewer for the Province's
eHealth infrastructure.
The British Columbia system will also include an interoperable Electronic
Health Record (iEHR) system, which will integrate the Province's health data
infrastructure, including the PLIS, providing healthcare workers access to
primary care data and other clinical data from pharmacies, laboratories and
diagnostic imaging systems. MedPlus will assist in the design of the iEHR as
it pertains to the Province's laboratory information system. MedPlus will also
provide technical documentation and training on the laboratory information
system to physician offices and hospital and reference laboratories.
"Our track record of successfully managing millions of diagnostic test-
related transactions each day through our Care360 Physician Portal in the U.S.
makes us ideally suited to assist British Columbia in this ambitious
endeavor," said Richard A. Mahoney, President, MedPlus, and Vice President,
Healthcare Information Solutions, for Quest Diagnostics. "We have a large
installed base with more than 700,000 users of Care360, a proven technology
that is quickly integrated into existing physician office systems and provides
secure, reliable management of patient information.
"We look forward to working with the project team to develop a system for
the Province that incorporates our considerable expertise in implementing
healthcare information exchange technologies that improve patient care,"
continued Mahoney.
The PLIS will be developed according to architecture and standards set
forth by the Canada Health Infoway, an independent not-for-profit organization
that invests with public sector partners across Canada to implement and reuse
compatible health information systems.
All patient information will be protected by privacy measures that are
among the strongest in Canada, and systems will comply with the Province's
Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act as well as the Personal
Information Privacy Act. Patients' medical records will continue to be patient
owned, and access to patient information will be restricted to those having a
legal right and clear need to access the information or to access the systems
where the information resides.
About Sun Microsystems (B.C.) Inc.
Sun Microsystems (B.C.) Inc. is a subsidiary of Sun Microsystems of Canada
Inc. Sun Microsystems of Canada Inc. is headquartered in Markham, Ontario. The
company, which employs more than 640 persons, has offices in Montreal, Ottawa,
Calgary, Vancouver and Victoria. Sun products and services are also available
through Sun Authorized Independent Marketing Organizations and Sun(SM) Partner
Advantage Program partners across Canada. For more information, visit
http://sun.ca.
About MedPlus
MedPlus, the healthcare information technology subsidiary of Quest
Diagnostics, 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 Care360(TM) and ChartMaxx(R) 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 a network of more than 700,000 users with tools to
improve patient care and overall office efficiency. ChartMaxx, the award-
winning electronic health record solution, has been implemented in more than
120 hospitals and clinics with more than 125,000 clinical and administrative
users. For more information, visit http://www.medplus.com.
About Quest Diagnostics
Quest Diagnostics Incorporated is the nation's leading provider of
diagnostic testing, information and services, providing insights that enable
healthcare professionals to make decisions that improve health. 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 the leading provider of esoteric testing, including gene-based
medical testing, and provides advanced information technology solutions to
improve patient care. For more information, visit
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 actual results and
outcomes to be materially different. Certain of these risks and uncertainties
may include, but are not limited to, competitive environment, changes in
government regulations, changing relationships with customers, payers,
suppliers and strategic partners and other factors described in the Quest
Diagnostics Incorporated 2006 Form 10-K and subsequent filings.
SOURCE Quest Diagnostics Incorporated
For Quest Diagnostics: Laure Park (Investors), +1-201-393-5030 and Nancy Fitzsimmons
(Media): +1-201-393-5700
http://www.questdiagnostics.com