TAMPA, Fla., July 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Quest Diagnostics
Incorporated (NYSE: DGX), the world's leading provider of
diagnostic information services today announced the Tackle Your
Testing program to address the health disparities exacerbated by
delayed treatment or diagnosis during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tampa Family Health Centers, a federally qualified health
center, Feeding Tampa and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay will work alongside Quest to support
bay area events starting later this month, followed by similar
activations events in Tallahassee
and Miami in August and
September.
Tackle Your Testing events will kick off Saturday, July 17 and Sunday, July 18 from 9:00
a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Seminole Heights Methodist Church in
the Seminole Heights district of Tampa and will provide a no-cost, convenient,
and confidential opportunities for individuals to receive
diagnostic tests.
"In 2020, we saw a sharp decline in new diagnoses for common
chronic illnesses, as the pandemic caused many to delay
appointments and routine testing," said Dr. Andrew Young, regional medical director at Quest
Diagnostics. "These tests can help physicians and patients catch
health issues sooner and potentially prevent disease
progression."
Tackle Your Testing events will provide diagnostic testing,
services and education. Doctors from Tampa Family Health Centers
will be on hand to provide consultation and on-site staff can
assist in scheduling follow up appointments, answer questions about
diagnostic testing. Attendees may also enroll in the MyQuestâ„¢
patient portal to receive test results and track their health
history.
Feeding Tampa will provide
healthy meals and information to help attendees understand their
options to sign up for programs like the USDA's Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program to address food insecurity in the U.S.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa
Bay will have representatives on site to discuss the many
benefits of its mentoring programs, including information on how to
enroll children between the ages of 5-13 in the program, and how to
begin the enrollment process for those interested in becoming
volunteer mentors.
"We are glad to be working with Quest Diagnostics," said
Sherry Hoback, president and CEO of
Tampa Family Health Centers. "During the pandemic many patients
were not seeking the necessary medical care that they should have
received to treat their acute and chronic illnesses. As a
patient-centered medical home providing healthcare to our community
for over 37 years, it is our honor to work with these amazing
organizations to re-engage our communities on the importance of
their health and wellness."
Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back and philanthropist
Warrick Dunn is supporting Quest in
its mission to connect with and educate at-risk populations about
the importance of proactively managing one's health. Warrick will
attend select Tackle Your Testing health events in each market. He
was awarded the Walter Peyton Man of the Year Award in 2005, the
only NFL recognition for both a player's community service and
excellence on the field. Warrick Dunn Charities serves 190 single
parents and 514 dependents with home furnishings, in 24 markets
across the country.
"As a former Florida State University and the Tampa Bay
Buccaneers running back, I am very connected to Tampa and Tallahassee as well as the entire state of
Florida," said Dunn. "And, as an
African American male I am concerned about disparities caused by
social determinants of health that were magnified during the
pandemic. Working with Quest to help my community tackle their
testing feels like an extension of the right thing to do, so I am
glad to call attention to this important subject."
Full details for Tampa's
upcoming events can be found in the link below and accompanying
information for Tallahassee and
Miami will be shared in upcoming
announcements. For more information, please visit
www.TackleYourTesting.com.
About Quest Diagnostics
Quest Diagnostics empowers people to take action to improve
health outcomes. Derived from the world's largest database of
clinical lab results, our diagnostic insights reveal new avenues to
identify and treat disease, inspire healthy behaviors and improve
health care management. Quest annually serves one in three adult
Americans and half the physicians and hospitals in the United States, and our 50,000 employees
understand that, in the right hands and with the right context, our
diagnostic insights can inspire actions that transform lives.
www.QuestDiagnostics.com.
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SOURCE Quest Diagnostics