UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                   WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
                              
                          FORM 8-K

                       CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934


                        APRIL 23, 1998
                        --------------
              (Date of earliest event reported)
                              
                              
                              
         LABORATORY CORPORATION OF AMERICA HOLDINGS
         ------------------------------------------
   (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
                              


   DELAWARE                1-11353            13-3757370
   --------                -------            ----------
(State or other          (Commission        (IRS Employer
jurisdiction or          File Number)        Identification
organization)                                Number)


                              
  358 SOUTH MAIN STREET, BURLINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA  27215
  --------------------------------------------------------
          (Address of principal executive offices)
                              
                              
                              
                        336-229-1127
                        ------------
      (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)




ITEM 5. OTHER EVENTS

On April 23, 1998, the Company issued a press release
announcing the appointment of Myla Lai-Goldman, M.D.
to the newly-created position of Executive Vice President, Chief
Scientific Officer and Medical Director of LabCorp.


ITEM 7.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, PRO FORMA FINANCIAL
         INFORMATION AND EXHIBITS

  (c) Exhibit
                              
      20  Press release of the Company dated April 23, 1998.



                         SIGNATURES
                              
      Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities and
Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this
report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto
duly authorized.

               LABORATORY CORPORATION OF AMERICA HOLDINGS
               ------------------------------------------
                             (Registrant)



                    By:/s/ BRADFORD T. SMITH
                       -----------------------
                           Bradford T. Smith
                           Executive Vice President,
                           General Counsel, Secretary
                           and Compliance Officer



Date: May 7, 1998

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                                    CONTACT: PAMELA SHERRY
                                    TELEPHONE: 336-584-5171,
                                    EXT. 4855
                                
       LABCORP-REGISTERED TRADEMARK- NAMES MYLA LAI-GOLDMAN
          CHIEF SCIENTIFIC OFFICER AND MEDICAL DIRECTOR
                                
                                
BURLINGTON, NC, APRIL 23, 1998 _ Laboratory Corporation of
America-Registered Trademark-)  Holdings (LabCorp-Registered
Trademark-) (NYSE: LH) today announced the appointment of Myla
Lai-Goldman, M.D. to the newly-created position of Executive
Vice President, Chief Scientific Officer and Medical Director of
LabCorp. In this new capacity Dr. Goldman will join the
Executive Committee of the Company.

"We are fortunate to have an individual with Dr. Goldman's
credentials join LabCorp's executive management team," said
Thomas P. Mac Mahon, President and Chief Executive Officer of
LabCorp.  "Dr. Goldman's strong scientific and medical
background is highly complemented by her extensive management
and operational experience, particularly in one of LabCorp's
strategic areas of future growth, molecular diagnostics
specializing in infectious disease and genetic testing."

In her expanded role, Dr. Goldman will oversee all technology
and quality assessment for LabCorp, and consult senior
management on scientific and medical issues.  She will continue
to manage LabCorp's Center for Molecular Biology and Pathology
located in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.  Specialists
at the Center's infectious disease laboratory focus on state-of-
the-art technologies such as PCR and DNA probes to improve
patient care by rapidly detecting, identifying, and quantifying
pathogens.  The facility maintains a team of expert
professionals that specialize in a wide variety of esoteric
testing services, cutting-edge research and development,
education, and training in such areas as oncology, genetics, and
infectious disease.

Dr. Goldman, a native of New York City, received a B.A. degree
in Biology from the University of Pennsylvania and her Medical
Degree from Columbia University.  A Board Certified Anatomic and
Clinical Pathologist, she performed her internship at St. Luke's
Hospital in New York City and completed her Residency at UCLA
Center for Health Services in Los Angeles.  She has also
completed additional post-graduate training at the University of
North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Laboratory Corporation of America-Registered Trademark-
Holdings (LabCorp-Registered Trademark-) is a national clinical
laboratory organization with annual revenues of $1.5 billion in
1997.  The Company operates primary testing facilities
nationally, offering more than 1,700 different clinical assays,
from routine blood analyses to more sophisticated technologies.
LabCorp performs diagnostic tests for physicians, managed-care
organizations, hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities,
industrial companies and other clinical laboratories.


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