Quest Diagnostics 2002 Annual Report Download - page 4

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2QUEST DIAGNOSTICS
2002 was another excellent year for Quest Diagnostics. We reported improved financial results for the sixth
consecutive year and continued to invest in the bright future of the business. Investments in Six Sigma
quality generated positive financial returns and tangible improvements in customer service. We expanded
access to vital laboratory testing, information and services. We continued to distinguish ourselves by offering
highly specialized esoteric tests and unique ways for physicians and hospitals to use our services.
COMMITTED TO YOU…TODAY The theme of our Annual Report is “Committed to YOU.” We are a
business that is all about people caring about and helping people. We strongly believe the way to create
long-term sustainable shareholder value is through a foundation of satisfied customers and employees.
On the pages that follow, you will see how our more than 35,000 dedicated employees are committed to
meeting the needs of patients and their physicians.
COMMITTED TO CUSTOMERS…THROUGH SIX SIGMA QUALITY We serve the diagnostic testing
needs of approximately one-half of America’s physicians and hospitals. We are counted on to provide highly
accurate diagnostic test results and interpretations that influence the vast majority of healthcare decisions.
Every specimen represents a person in need of vital information about his or her health, an awesome
responsibility, and one we accept with a strong sense of pride.
We set ourselves apart from the competition by providing unparalleled quality—the ultimate differentiator.
Quest Diagnostics is the first major healthcare services company to pursue Six Sigma quality, establishing
a disciplined approach to reduce errors and strive for perfection. We have been on the journey for more
than three years, and Six Sigma is dramatically changing the Quest Diagnostics culture. We provide Six
Sigma training for every employee and have extensively trained approximately 800 Six Sigma experts,
called Black Belts and Green Belts, who are leading defect-reduction projects across the company.
Driving change requires that senior leadership visibly “walk the talk.” I am trained as a Black Belt, and
am personally driving the transformation through the leadership of specific projects. The focus on Six
Sigma is yielding improved quality and process effectiveness, significant cost savings and enhanced
customer satisfaction.
The Six Sigma methodology starts with listening to customers to understand their needs. Our customers
want service tailored to their specific requirements. Last year we expanded efforts to better serve several
important customer segments. We launched a dedicated hospital testing sales and service team across the
country to build on our leadership position. We established full service esoteric and gene-based testing
capabilities in Chantilly, Virginia, to complement Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute in San Juan
Capistrano, California, enhancing convenience for specialist physicians and hospital customers and
speeding turnaround times.
COMMITTED TO CUSTOMERS…THROUGH INNOVATION We are committed to leading through
innovation, bringing new diagnostic tests and information technology applications to customers.
Innovative electronic connectivity options make it easier for customers to do business with us. The Internet
is starting to replace paper forms for physicians when they order diagnostic tests and receive test results.
Our physician portal, called eMaxx®, enables physicians and other healthcare providers to share crucial
clinical patient data securely, and also to order lab tests and verify insurance eligibility in real time. We
strengthen managed care relationships with our proprietary QuestNetTM laboratory network management
service. We are also devoting significant resources to help ensure full compliance with new federal
regulations protecting the confidentiality of patient information.
We offer the most comprehensive test menus for high-growth product categories and disease states,
including cardiovascular disease, cancer, infectious disease, and genetic disorders. In addition, we
enhanced our gene-based and esoteric testing sales capability through a select group of highly trained
experts who can readily describe the benefits of the most sophisticated tests.
TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS,
CUSTOMERS AND EMPLOYEES: