Frontline employees and patient care providers of UK HealthCare are being offered drive-thru testing for coronavirus.
The drive-thru is located at UK HealthCare Turfland and staff must make an appointment. These are for UKHC employees who are symptomatic and don’t need inpatient care.
When access to tests increase, UKHC plans to expand testing to more departments and the public.
“We want to make sure we take care of our employees so they can take care of our community,” said Dr. Mark Newman, University of Kentucky executive vice president for health affairs. “With the availability of tests and supplies, we are prioritizing testing for inpatients and health care employees who are symptomatic at this time.”
If an employee feels they need to be tested, they are being asked to fill out a survey to provide information if they are experiencing a cough, fever, shortness of breath, muscle aches, or sore throat. Employees who have returned from a level-three destination can also fill out the survey if they have symptoms.
Once it is deemed the individual needs a test after filling out the survey, they will be given an appointment for their test. UKHC plans to create 100 appointments per day, but that number will be determined by the supplies that are available.
“This drive-thru screening is focused on our health care employees because they are at the most risk because they have the most contact with patients who have COVID-19 and we need to be able to get them back to work so that they can care for our patients,” said Dr. Sarah Schuetz, internal medicine physician at UK HealthCare and co-physician lead for drive-thru testing for COVID-19. “We do not want any of our health care workers feeling like they have to work when they are sick, and we want to be able to get them a diagnosis as quickly as possible.”
On Wednesday, employees are undergoing training to care for those being tested with utilizing the appropriate protective equipment and supplies. Appointments for those being screened begin later this week.
“We have provided each of the members of our clinical team with appropriate training, both in how to use our patient care systems as well as how to approach patients coming through a drive-thru line,” said Dr. Kelli Trent, internal medicine and pediatric physician at UK HealthCare and co-physician lead for drive-thru testing for COVID-19. “Our staff have been excited to serve our colleagues that may become symptomatic in this time.”
To maintain the privacy of those being tested with the drive-thru, UKHC asks that members of the public and media do not come to the testing site.
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