Mercy Hospital responds to crisis by starting drive-through testing

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– PHOTOS BY JEANNE VOLLMER

By Cynthia Price

 

The state of Michigan has, for the most part, pulled together in the face of very high numbers of cases and of deaths during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Thursday, Governor Whitmer extended her “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order to April 30, in order to continue combating this Coronavirus.

Latest figures (exact numbers depend on whether you look at national numbers or the state’s site) are running over 21,500, placing Michigan third in the nation. Two things are worthy of note, however. First, case numbers are not very far ahead of  California (19,043), Massachusetts (18.941) or Louisiana (18,283).

Second, Thursday’s new cases were down significantly, at 1,158.  They have continued to be at least a couple hundred less than the April 3 new-case peak of 1,953, though there is some up and down since then. (Wednesday’s new-case total was 1,376, for example.)

This may mean nothing, especially since there is a lot of variation in different regions of the state; it may mean that Michigan is coming to a point where there will be fewer new cases, \into the foreseeable future; or, looked at cynically, it may mean that we in the state are not doing enough testing to know for sure.

Mercy Health has now opened two drive-through testing centers in West Michigan to help address that third alternative.

Starting April 7, the testing center at the Mercy Campus, 1500 E. Sherman, was open Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

There is also a testing center through  Mercy Health Saint Mary’s  at  the Wege Parking Ramp, 300 Lafayette Ave. S.E. in Grand Rapids.

It is important to note that pre-screening is required to make an appointment to go through and get the tests. Patients who suspect they may have the COVID-19 virus may visit www.mercyhealth.com/

health-and-wellness/

coronavirus to fill out a Coronavirus Assessment Tool; a pop-up guides them through it. After that, where warranted, patients will be referred to a Virtual Visit or they can see a primary care provider, who will order the COVID-19 test.

It is anticipated that the two sites, where patients are tested without getting out of their cars in order to limit exposure, can test hundreds of people a day. “The drive-through testing center has the capacity to expand significantly at both the current site and to additional sites in the Greater Grand Rapids area as the need for increased access to testing grows.” said Andrew Jameson, MD, MD, FACP, AAHIVS Division Chief-Infectious Diseases, Regional Medical Director - Infection Control, Mercy Health Physician Partners.

Test results will be available within 24 hours. The centers’ staffs will also give patients in-

formation on how to quarantine within their homes. 

Mercy Health, which is a Catholic health care system serving West Michigan and the lakeshore, has four hospital campuses, more than 90 physician offices, over 1,300 medical staff physicians, and more than 800 hospital beds, and is a member of the Trinity Health. system.

On Mercy Health’s COVID-19 website, a message from Trinity Health President and Chief Executive Officer Michael A. Slubowski and President and CEO of Mercy Health and Saint Joseph Mercy Health System Rob Casalou says, “The global situation is changing rapidly, and we are adapting daily to ensure you receive the latest medical care based on data-driven guidelines and protocols from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  We are confident in our ability to continue delivering the compassionate care that has been a hallmark of our national, mission-driven health care system for many years.”

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