Two additional testing sites are expected to open by the week of April 27.
Genesee Health System launches a mobile testing unit to help increase COVID-19 testing availability, especially in hard-to-reach Flint neighborhoods, with the possibility of mobile testing operating as soon as April 24.
The details are still being worked out. The testing sites will be operated by the staff of Genesee Health System and Genesee Community Health Center, a federally qualified health center operated by GHS. Genesee Health System staff includes providers who can communicate in Spanish and American Sign Language.
“Heroes are like teas, you never know how strong they are until they are placed in hot water,” Mayor Sheldon Neeley said. “No one could reasonably expect our community mental health providers to be frontline fighters against coronavirus, but here they are. They are heroes.”
“Genesee Health System has been serving Genesee County for more than 50 years. While this type of testing isn’t our typical service, we have the necessary expertise on staff and understand just how important testing is in our fight against this deadly disease,” said Danis Russell, CEO of Genesee Health System.
The focus of the mobile testing unit will be to target outreach into populations identified through the Flint Water Crisis as areas where traditional community outreach wasn’t effective. In addition to increasing accessibility to testing, the mobile testing unit will increase the opportunity for education about COVID-19.
Hamilton Community Health Network also plans to open drive-through testing soon.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Genesee County Health Department, the Genesee County Emergency Operations Center, medical providers and the city of Flint are working together to increase testing locally.
On April 15, Hurley Medical Center began offering the area’s first drive-through testing option. Hurley provides drive-through testing by appointment on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at Atwood Stadium. For details, call (810) 262-3685.
