Quest Diagnostics Launches National EHR Grant Program for Physicians

MADISON, N.J., Jan. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE: DGX), the world's leading provider of diagnostic testing, information and services, announced that, beginning January 23rd and throughout 2012, it is offering to eligible physician practices subsidies of 85 percent off the retail price of its popular Care360® Electronic Health Record (EHR) solution.

Through the Quest Diagnostics Grant program, physicians can receive a full, certified EHR solution, including EHR and Practice Management System licenses, training, hosting, maintenance and 24/7 support and training for less than $100 per month. New York and Missouri physicians are not eligible for the program and eligibility in New Jersey is limited in accordance with state law requirements.

Specifically, the Quest Diagnostics Grant offer includes:

Care360 EHR and PMS (Practice Management System) licensing, hosting, maintenance and support - The Grant program will donate 85 percent of the retail price of the EHR and PMS subscription price for eligible recipients during the Grant period.

Training and implementation - The Grant program will cover 85 percent of the retail price of standard training and implementation.

"Physicians are feeling economic pressure like never before," said Richard Mahoney, vice president of Healthcare Information Solutions for Quest Diagnostics and president of its healthcare IT subsidiary MedPlus. "Quest Diagnostics wants to remain their trusted partner for all activities within their offices, and EHRs are one of the most top-of-mind challenges for physicians today."

"As a longtime partner to independent physicians, we continue to look for opportunities to help them tackle EHR adoption challenges and achieve meaningful use of patient information," Mahoney continued. "When thousands of physicians responded to our 2011 Grant program, we knew we'd found a way to encourage physicians to adopt an easy-to-implement, easy-to-use EHR—which can benefit their practices and their patients."

Based on positive physician experiences with Care360 EHR resulting from the 2011 regional Grant program, Quest Diagnostics is now expanding the Grant program to be available to eligible physician practices in most states nationally.

"Our national Grant program means that for only 15 percent of the retail cost, eligible physicians can have a certified EHR that is up and running in approximately 45 days," Mahoney said. "Not only can they save thousands of dollars, but they can earn tens of thousands more in Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) incentives."

This offer represents a potential value of up to $9,400. Eligible grantees include any non-hospital-owned physician practice and any independent nurse practitioner practice that has not had an EHR in place. Other restrictions may apply.

Adoption of the Care360 EHR web-based solution continues to grow among primary care physicians operating in small to medium-sized physician practices across the nation. Approximately one third of U.S. physicians and many of the country's leading hospitals, health plans and regional health exchanges currently rely on healthcare information solutions offered by Quest Diagnostics and MedPlus to document and monitor diagnostic, prescription and clinical data to provide better patient care.

Care360 EHR allows physicians to adopt an EHR quickly—on average, within 45 days after contract completion. Care360 EHR is a certified complete EHR solution*, meaning it can be used to help qualify each physician for up to $44,000 in Medicare incentives or $63,750 in Medicaid incentives through an EHR adoption program offered by CMS. As a web-based solution, Care360 gives physicians complete, secure EHR capabilities via the Internet and mobile devices such as iPad^®, iPhone^®, BlackBerry^® and most other smartphones. As the first certified EHR to leverage the Direct Project specifications, physicians are able to easily and securely share information with other physicians, patients and hospitals – both those on the Care360 platform and with other technology solutions.  For complete Grant program details, please visit Care360.com/Grant or call 888-723-5469.

*This Complete EHR is 2011/2012 compliant and has been certified by the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT®), an ONC-ATCB, in accordance with the applicable certification criteria adopted by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. This certification does not represent an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or guarantee the receipt of incentive payments. Quality measures certified are all 44 Eligible Provider measures.

Date certified: December 15, 2010. Product version: 2011.2. Certification number: CC-1112-936980-1.

About Care360 EHR
Care360 EHR is a web-based solution that allows physicians to transition key activities from paper to electronic management in a step-wise approach. With a wide range of capabilities including electronic lab order management, clinical messaging, ePrescribing, clinical documentation tools, document management and multi-system interoperability, Care360 EHR has the features that physicians want to utilize anytime, anywhere via the iPhone^®, iPad^® and other mobile devices. For more information, visit Care360.com or follow us at Facebook.com/Care360EHR or Twitter.com/Care360.

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, or follow us at Facebook.com/QuestDiagnostics and Twitter.com/QuestDX.

Quest Diagnostics Contacts
Media: Barb Short 973-520-2800
Investors: Kathleen Valentine 973-520-2900

SOURCE Quest Diagnostics Incorporated