OMC Opens COVID-19 Testing Site

OMC Opens COVID-19 Testing Site

Drive-up site offers safe, convenient access to asymptomatic testing

PORT ANGELES  (August 19, 2020) – In response to a growing community need, Olympic Medical Center has opened a COVID-19 Testing Site, a drive-up site that will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Originally scheduled to open on August 24, Olympic Medical Center leadership decisively chose to open up a week early due a high number of known exposures that have occurred throughout the community. At this time, the COVID-19 Testing Site is specifically for pre-procedural testing, and to test asymptomatic individuals who have a known exposure. Community members with symptoms should talk to their primary care provider or go to the Walk-in Clinic or emergency department to seek appropriate care.

“Our Walk-in Clinics have become increasingly busy over the past few weeks with requests for contact testing, and we knew we needed a safe, efficient way to meet this demand,” says Josh Jones, chief physician officer, Olympic Medical Physicians. “We developed the COVID-19 Testing Site as an extension of the OMP Walk-in Clinic, and is a safe, convenient way to facilitate these tests.”

A COVID-19 test is at no cost to the patient. “We want to stress that patients will not receive a bill for a COVID-19 test, however, in most cases a patient’s health insurance will be billed if they have it. Additional services and treatments may be billed as well,” says Dr. Jones. Insurance billing exceptions occur for tests run through the state lab for specific contact tracing purposes – those are not billed to insurance.”

Patients are also directed to the site for pre-procedural testing, when deemed necessary by their provider. Patients who need pre-procedural testing for procedures at Olympic Medical Center are notified directly about how to obtain their test. If their procedure is scheduled at another hospital, a provider order is all that’s needed to obtain the test here locally.

COVID-19 Testing and Quarantine

Individuals who get a test due to a known exposure are encouraged to self-quarantine for 14 days from the last time of exposure, even if the test result is negative. Individuals should not go to work or school, and avoid public places. If symptoms develop within this quarantine period a person is directed to call his or her health care provider. “This is key to helping to stop the spread of COVID-19 in our community. A negative test does not mean you are in the clear as symptoms may appear two to 14 days after exposure to the virus,” says Dr. Jones.

Community members should stay informed to determine the most appropriate place to go for testing. For more information on COVID-19 testing options available at Olympic Medical Center, go to www.olympicmedical.org/coronavirus.