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Sonora Quest Laboratories Partners with hc1 for the Launch of the CV19 Lab Testing Dashboard to Support Public Health Response

Friday, April 03, 2020   |   Category: Press Releases

CV19Dashboard.org is a free resource for public health professionals and healthcare providers

Links to hi-res visuals: https://youtu.be/5u2cQGJrHP8

TEMPE, Ariz. (April 3, 2020) – Sonora Quest Laboratories, the market share leader in diagnostic laboratory testing in Arizona, and its strategic partner, hc1, announce the availability of the CV19 Lab Testing Dashboard. The Dashboard displays lab testing insights to support leaders on the front lines who are actively working to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Anonymized trending data from a coalition of more than 20,000 lab testing locations supports the dashboard’s visualizations of COVID-19 testing rates, positive and negative test results, and key demographic filters like age and gender down to the county and neighborhood (Public Use Microdata Area) level.

“Sonora Quest Laboratories is committed to doing everything we can to address this public health crisis,” said David Dexter, CEO of Sonora Quest Laboratories. “Through the hc1-led coalition, we are joining labs across the nation to provide insights that can support our respective communities. The Dashboard meets the critical need for public health officials and healthcare institutions to gain detailed insight into current lab testing trends.”

Already noted for its life-saving potential, the CV19 Lab Testing Dashboard project was recognized as a Spotlight Project in Datavant’s Pandemic Response Hackathon on April 1. The virtual event, aimed at better understanding and mitigating the spread of COVID-19 and future pandemics, was organized by Datavant and partners including the U.S. Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC), Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Snowflake.

“Early identification of COVID-19 is critical to stopping its spread,” said Meghan Shapiro, vice president of operations, Hospital Laboratories at Sonora Quest Laboratories/Laboratory Sciences of Arizona. “Most data flowing into public sector sites is 8 to 14 days old, which in the case of COVID-19, is too old to react. Public health action requires the most immediate data possible, including test orders and results as soon as they appear.”

All trends in the dashboard are based on de-identified, aggregated data from thousands of testing sites in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) privacy requirements. Accredited COVID-19 testing labs are encouraged to learn more and support this important public health initiative by visiting https://cv19dashboard.org/join.html.

“Labs are working around the clock to support surging COVID-19 testing demands in regional hot-spots, while public health professionals need a unified national view that spans thousands of locations and organizations,” said Brad Bostic, hc1 Chairman and CEO. “hc1’s specialized focus on lab bioinformatics puts us in a unique position to deliver up-to-date national insight into the spread of COVID-19. The hc1 Platform integrates and organizes the largest repository of live laboratory orders and results in the United States, so when the new coronavirus hit, we saw the development of this dashboard as a critical contribution we needed to make in support of public health.”

Sonora Quest Laboratories has collaborated with hc1 for more than 5 years and has contributed greater than 36 million laboratory testing records to hc1’s database. The hc1 database is used by Sonora Quest to aggregate its laboratory data into a useful format for operational decision-making and quality improvement, including automated reports out of hc1 to deliver leaders with real-time operational metrics. The hc1 database now includes the results for COVID-19 testing available through Sonora Quest.

About Sonora Quest Laboratories
Sonora Quest Laboratories, a joint venture between Banner Health and Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX), is part of the nation’s largest integrated laboratory system with approximately 3,500 employees serving more than 22,000 patients every day throughout Arizona. Sonora Quest Laboratories is the market share leader in clinical laboratory testing in Arizona, performing nearly 90 million diagnostic tests per year. 

Sonora Quest Laboratories offers a local comprehensive test menu which encompasses routine, molecular, prescription drug monitoring, genetic/genomic, women’s health and pathology testing services. My Lab ReQuest provides consumers direct access to a diverse range of affordable screening tests that can be ordered online at SonoraQuest.com or in any of Sonora Quest’s 75+ patient service centers across Arizona. Ninety-eight percent of all testing is performed at our primary testing facilities located in Tempe, Tucson, Flagstaff, Prescott and Yuma. Sonora Quest Laboratories is accredited by the College of American Pathologists (CAP) which is the gold standard in laboratory accreditation, helping laboratories to maintain accuracy of test results and ensure accurate patient diagnosis. This accreditation ensures the highest standard of care for all laboratory patients as CAP inspectors examine laboratory staff qualifications, equipment, facilities, safety program and records, and overall management.

About hc1®

Founded to improve lives with high-value care, hc1 has emerged as the leader in bioinformatics for precision testing and prescribing. The cloud-based hc1 High-Value Care Platform® organizes volumes of live data, including lab results, genomics, and medications, to deliver solutions that ensure that the right patient gets the right test and the right prescription. Today, the hc1 Platform powers solutions that optimize diagnostic testing and prescribing for millions of patients nationally. To learn more about hc1's proven approach to personalizing care while eliminating waste for thousands of health systems, diagnostic laboratories, and health plans, visit www.hc1.com and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.