Sentara Health Plans and Quest Diagnostics Form Strategic Collaboration to Extend Lab Access in Parts of the Southeast

News provided by

Sep 18, 2024, 08:51 ET

Quest named exclusive independent lab provider for all Sentara Health Plans in Virginia and Florida

SECAUCUS, N.J and HAMPTON ROADS, Va., Sept. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX), the world's leading provider of diagnostic information services, and Sentara Health Plans, the health plan division of Sentara Health, an integrated, not-for-profit health care delivery system, today announced a multi-year strategic collaboration designed to expand access to high-quality, affordable and comprehensive laboratory testing for members of Sentara Health Plans.

Beginning January 1, 2025, Quest will be the exclusive independent national laboratory provider of clinical laboratory and anatomic pathology services for members of Sentara Health Plans, including commercial and its government programs. The agreement will apply to Sentara Health Plans members in Florida and Virginia, including those in Sentara's Florida-serving AvMed business.

Sentara Health Plans and Quest will also collaborate on expanding Quest's patient service center network to support patient access in some geographies. In addition, the parties will consider avenues for educating Sentara Health Plans members and providers on the value of redirecting testing to Quest from higher-cost, out-of-network providers.

"Sentara Health Plans' strategic relationship with Quest promises to provide our Florida and Virginia members with innovative and comprehensive laboratory services," said Colin S. Drozdowski, Executive Vice President of Sentara and President of Sentara Health Plans. "Sentara Health Plans and Quest share a common goal to deliver quality and affordable care to our plan members."

"Health plans like Sentara value Quest as a strategic collaborator that can help them reduce healthcare costs while simultaneously enhancing access, innovation, and quality," said Leah D. Timmerman, Senior Vice President, Health Plans, Quest Diagnostics. "We look forward to helping Sentara Health Plans improve access and affordability for its members as we extend into parts of the southeastern U.S., particularly Virginia, where our presence has been limited."

About Sentara Health
Sentara Health, an integrated, not-for-profit health care delivery system, celebrates more than 130 years in pursuit of its mission - "we improve health every day." Sentara is one of the largest health systems in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, and among the top 20 largest not-for-profit integrated health systems in the country, with 30,000 employees, 12 hospitals in Virginia and Northeastern North Carolina, and the Sentara Health Plans division which serves more than 1 million members in Virginia and Florida. Sentara is recognized nationally for clinical quality and safety, and is strategically focused on innovation and creating an extraordinary health care experience for our patients and members. Sentara was named to IBM Watson Health's "Top 15 Health Systems" (2021, 2018), and was recognized by Forbes as a "Best Employer for New Grads" (2022), "Best Employer for Veterans" (2022, 2023), and "Best Employer for Women" (2020).

About Sentara Health Plans
Sentara Health Plans provides health plan coverage to nearly one million members in Virginia and Florida. Sentara Health Plans offers a full suite of commercial products including employee-owned and employer-sponsored plans, as well as Individual & Family Health Plans, Employee Assistance Programs and plans serving Dual-Eligible, Medicare, and Medicaid enrollees.

About Quest Diagnostics
Quest Diagnostics works across the healthcare ecosystem to create a healthier world, one life at a time. We provide diagnostic insights from the results of our laboratory testing to empower people, physicians and organizations to take action to improve health outcomes. Derived from one of the world's largest databases of de-identifiable clinical lab results, Quest's diagnostic insights reveal new avenues to identify and treat disease, inspire healthy behaviors and improve healthcare management. Quest Diagnostics annually serves one in three adult Americans and half the physicians and hospitals in the United States, and our nearly 50,000 employees understand that, in the right hands and with the right context, our diagnostic insights can inspire actions that transform lives and create a healthier world. www.QuestDiagnostics.com

SOURCE Quest Diagnostics