Diagnostics, Patient Engagement

As Walgreens dumps Theranos, Quest moves into more Safeway locations

The lab giant will provide diagnostic testing services at Quest-branded Patient Services Centers next to the pharmacies at 12 Safeway stores in five states. Presumably, these will occupy spaces originally built for Theranos labs.

Safeway

Apparently satisfied with a pilot in the Phoenix area, Grocery chain Safeway is expanding its partnership with Quest Diagnostics.

The laboratory giant will provide diagnostic testing services at Quest-branded Patient Services Centers next to the pharmacies at 12 Safeway stores in California, Colorado, Texas, Virginia and Maryland. These sites are in addition to labs at Safeways in Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona, run by Sonora Quest Laboratories, a joint venture between Quest and Phoenix-based Banner Health.

“We’re building on what we learned in Arizona, which is that by providing laboratory testing services where patients also shop, we will make it easier for them to get the quality diagnostic insights they need in convenient locations,” Quest President and CEO Steve Rusckowski said in a statement to the media.

“Our collaboration with Quest Diagnostics represents Safeway’s commitment to becoming a health and wellness destination for our customers, giving patients convenient access to quality laboratory testing and a unique shopping experience,” Mark Panzer, Safeway’s senior vice president of pharmacy, health and wellness, said.

“This is a natural extension of the robust health and wellness offerings found throughout our stores. We’re excited that our customers will have access to healthy foods, pharmacy services and diagnostic testing under one roof,” Panzer added. He did not mention that Safeway sells cigarettes and, where the law allows, booze.

Also not said was the fact that Quest is offering traditional lab services in the same direct-to-consumer manner that nontraditional testing company Theranos had attempted to do at Safeway at Walgreens stores. Also not said was that Quest likely is moving into space previously earmarked for the wounded unicorn.

Recall that Safeway had spent $350 million to build clinics in more than 800 stores across the country to offer Theranos blood tests. That deal fell apart late last year after the Wall Street Journal began pulling back the curtain on Theranos’ problems.

This Quest-Safeway announcement comes just three days after Walgreens terminated its relationship with Theranos, shutting down 40 testing centers in Arizona.

Photo: Flickr user Mike Mozart

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