Quest Diagnostics Sponsors Women's Health Movement

Quest Diagnostics announced its national presenting sponsorship of the American Cancer Society Choose You® movement, which encourages women nationwide to live well today and stay well tomorrow. In support of the Choose You movement and in recognition of National Women's Health Week May 13 – 19 sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health, Quest Diagnostics will offer 10,000 vouchers for free screenings to women at May Choose You events around the country, beginning today in New York City.

"One in three women will get cancer in her lifetime. But a significant number of cancer deaths could be prevented if people maintained a healthy weight through diet and regular exercise, avoided tobacco products and had their regular health checks," said Kimberly Wright, Director, Mission Solutions and Tools, at the American Cancer Society. "We're proud to have Quest Diagnostics as our Choose You national presenting sponsor, and we greatly value their partnership as we work together to empower women to get active, manage their health, and stay well."

An American Cancer Society survey finds that 40 percent of women said they would be more physically active in their free time if it felt less like work and more like play. In response, Choose You is issuing a challenge to women: Choose play in May and help the Society inspire 100,000 acts of physical activity. To get the challenge started, a series of Choose You pop-up "play teams" will be hitting the streets of New York (May 1), Los Angeles (May 11) and Washington, DC (May 22), inviting passers-by to get active with nostalgic childhood toys, including the '80s famed Skip It, hula hoops, hoppity-hop balls and double Dutch jump ropes. Today the Choose You team launched the movement by encouraging women to play midday through late afternoon in New York's Times Square.

"Choose You is an important and growing women's health initiative, and it made great sense in 2012 for Quest Diagnostics to continue and strengthen our support of the women touched by this American Cancer Society movement," said Laure Park, Quest Diagnostics' Corporate Citizenship Officer. "Whether you're a family member, healthcare provider, co-worker or friend, we hope you'll join us – this month and throughout the next year – in encouraging the women in our lives to prioritize a healthy lifestyle, get out and play, and make time for their regular health checks."

Quest Diagnostics will support the women reached at May Choose You events with vouchers they can redeem online to schedule a free Blueprint for Wellness® screening at a Quest Diagnostics patient service center. Each screening participant will receive a personalized My 5 to Health™ report with biometrics and laboratory test results for diabetes and heart disease risk, a Metabolic Syndrome risk score, and a "tear out" summary page they can take to their doctor. The Quest Diagnostics Blueprint for Wellness health-risk assessment service is provided to health-conscious companies seeking to implement lab-based employee wellness initiatives to help identify and reduce their workers' greatest health risks. In a recent study published in the peer-reviewed online journal PLoSONE, Quest Diagnostics found that one in three first-time participants in their employer's lab-based wellness program were unaware they were at high risk for diabetes, heart disease, and/or chronic kidney disease.

"Prevention and early detection have become staples in our American vocabulary, yet at the same time we've convinced ourselves that we don't have time to take care of our health," said Jon R. Cohen, M.D., Quest Diagnostics Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer. "The simple reality is that our bodies need to be strong and well to prevent and fight disease. And to help us be strong and well, we need to see our doctors, get our regular health screenings, and behave in healthy ways. The Choose You movement and National Women's Health Week both serve as powerful catalysts to keep our country on a critical path toward building a culture of health."