Augusta University Health offers pre-scheduled drive-through COVID-19 specimen collection
CONTACT: Danielle Harris, 706-522-3023, deharris1@augusta.edu
AUGUSTA, Ga. (March 17, 2020) — As the number of cases of COVID-19 rise throughout Georgia, Augusta University Health is offering drive-through testing atChristenberry Fieldhouse, 3109 Wrightsboro Road, for pre-selected patients.
Beginning Wednesday, March 18, the drive-through clinic will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is only available for patients who receive a positive screening through the free AU Health COVID-19 Virtual Screening application at www.augustahealth.org/COVID19. These individuals will receive an appointment before coming on site.
Individuals who show up without an appointment will be redirected to the free virtual care pre-screening application.
“The COVID-19 outbreak is evolving daily and AU Health is proud to offer drive-through testing to the community during these uncertain times,” said Katrina Keefer, chief executive officer for Augusta University Health System and executive vice president for health affairs at Augusta University. “One of AU Health’s first presumptive casesresulted from utilizing the drive-through testing concept. It is a priority for us to provide greater access for those who may need testing the most without exposing others.”
To limit virus exposure and risk, anyone experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, such as fever, cough and shortness of breath, are encouraged to use the virtual careapplication or to call the health system’s hotline at 706-721-1852 before visiting the emergency room, urgent care or doctor’s office.
Drive-thru testing has been successful in many areas of the country as hospitals work to increase testing capability and limit exposure. AU Health has already had over 240 calls to the COVID-19 hotline and seen about 200 virtual visits through its virtual screening application, with an average visit time of 10 minutes or less. AU Health expects to be able to rapidly expand testing as part of its new drive-through testing location.
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AU Health is Georgia’s only public academic health center, where world-class clinicians are bringing the medicine of tomorrow to patient care today. As the primary teaching affiliate of the Medical College of Georgia, AU Health provides the most comprehensive routine-to-complex care at AU Medical Center, which houses the region’s only Level 1 trauma center, as well as Children’s Hospital of Georgia, historic Roosevelt warm Springs Rehabilitation and Specialty Hospitals, Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home, and more than 100 primary and specialty care clinics across the state.
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