Bio-Reference to Launch Laboratorio Buena Salud, The First Nationwide Full-Service Hispanic Laboratory

USA - English

• Latin America - español

ELMWOOD PARK, N.J., Oct. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Bio-Reference Laboratories, Inc. (NASDAQ: BRLI) today officially announced the launch of Laboratorio Buena Salud (www.LaboratorioBuenaSalud.com), the first national testing laboratory dedicated to serving Spanish-speaking populations in the United States. All functions and services will be customized to the Hispanic community and business will be conducted in Spanish, including patient and physician interactions. 

"Laboratories are about access; we need to do all we can to promote care no matter the circumstances, conditions or language spoken," said Marc D. Grodman, MD, President and CEO of Bio-Reference Laboratories.  "People of Hispanic origin are one of the fastest-growing population segments in the United States and account for well over 50 million of our current population and there are those among them, both patients and physicians alike, for whom Spanish is the primary language. They deserve a dedicated laboratory resource that will be able to service them in a seamless, effective way. That is the vision behind Laboratorio Buena Salud. We want to become an integral member of these communities and make it convenient and comfortable for Spanish-speaking individuals and families to take care of their clinical testing needs."

"Since we began working with Bio-Reference more than three years ago, we have been impressed not only with their quality and professionalism but also with their sensitivity to the bilingual needs of our patients." said Paloma Hernandez, President and CEO of Urban Health Plan, Inc.

The laboratory will operate on a national basis as a traditional Spanish-speaking business with bilingual capabilities that will be able to handle English-speakers when necessary. Laboratorio Buena Salud has an extensive support staff, including over 30 dedicated Spanish-speaking customer service representatives who will maintain 24 hour, 7 day per week service for patients and physicians. The website is in Spanish, including technical support for such services as online ordering and reporting. All written communications including patient education materials, results reports and other documents, are also in Spanish. Laboratorio Buena Salud is designed to serve the various Hispanic communities across the country with a clear understanding of the unique needs of these populations.

"If laboratories are about access, successful laboratories should be about differentiation.  Sometimes innovation does not mean a new technology but an enhanced clinical service. A key by-product of Laboratorio Buena Salud is the successful commitment by Bio-Reference to provide bilingual services across all elements of our business. With the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, tens of thousands of people in Hispanic communities across the country will have access to health insurance," according to Dr. Grodman. "We have an infrastructure in place to deal with this demand."

About Bio-Reference Laboratories, Inc.
BRLI is a clinical testing laboratory offering testing, information and related services to physician offices, clinics, hospitals, employers and governmental units. We believe that we are the fourth largest full-service laboratory in the United States and the largest independent regional laboratory in the Northeastern market. BRLI offers a comprehensive list of laboratory testing services utilized by healthcare providers in the detection, diagnosis, evaluation, monitoring and treatment of diseases. BRLI primarily focuses on esoteric testing, molecular diagnostics, anatomical pathology, women's health and correctional health care.

Statements included in this release that are not historical in nature are intended to be, and are hereby identified as, "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "will" or words of similar meaning and include, but are not limited to, statements about the expected future business and financial performance of Bio-Reference Laboratories, Inc. and its subsidiaries. Such statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause the Company's actual results in future periods to be materially different from any future performance suggested herein. Risks and uncertainties that may affect the future results of the Company include, but are not limited to, adverse results from failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations governing our business or government investigations, lawsuits or private actions, the competitive environment, changes in government regulations, changing relationships with customers, payers, suppliers and strategic partners and other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  We undertake no obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

SOURCE Bio-Reference Laboratories, Inc.