The Winn Parish Journal met with Winn Parish Medical Center (WPMC), CEO Kathy Hall yesterday for, an in-depth look at how WPMC is coordinating drive thru COVID-19 Testing.

All patients concerned with COVID-19 symptoms or that have come in direct contact with someone with a confirmed case of COVID-19 are being advised to:

1. Contact Winn Wellness Clinic via phone at 318-209-4646 for a virtual or tele-med consultation. The staff will conduct a questionnaire according to CDC guidelines. If during the virtual consultation a determination is made that the patient needs to be seen in person an appointment will be scheduled for the patient to be seen at the Winn Wellness Clinic located at 609 W Court Street, Winnfield, LA 71483.
2. Once the patient arrives at their scheduled appointment they are asked to remain in their vehicle and call the clinic to advise the staff that they have arrived.
3. Staff will come out to the patient’s vehicle and collect medical history and insurance information.
4. A nurse will then come out to the patient’s car to take the patient’s temp. If vital signs need to be taken the patient will be asked to step out of their vehicle under a canopy. They may also administer a flu and strep test if the provider deems necessary.
5. If the provider deems that a COVID-19 test is necessary the Winn Wellness Clinic will fax an order to the Winn Parish Medical Center.
6. The patient then drives to the ER of the Winn Parish Medical Center located at 301 W Boundary Avenue, Winnfield, LA 71483.
7. Staying inside their vehicle once again, and following the signs stating “COVID-19 Testing” with arrows showing the way, the patient drives up to the testing site.
8. A healthcare worker will address the patient in their car, and will verify that the order from Winn Wellness has been received using a hand held radio.
9. The COVID-19 test will be administered

The steps for testing are the same if you do not wish to use Winn Wellness Clinic and would like to use your primary care physician instead. Your primary care physician will fax the order to the Winn Parish Medical Center, and you will follow steps 6-9 outlined above.

All healthcare workers are in full personal protection equipment at all times during this process. Test results can take anywhere from 24 hours to ten days but are typically received within 24-36 hours. All COVID-19 tests are processed by an offsite lab at this time. 

COVID-19 tests are not administered to patients with no symptoms which are fever, cough, and or respiratory distress. You cannot request a test to see if you have the virus if you have no symptoms or haven’t come into direct contact with someone with a confirmed case of COVID-19.

“I’m so proud of all of our staff. They have shown extraordinary resilience under these extremely stressful circumstances when guidelines for caring for patients changes minute to minute,” said Hall

“Just because we live in a rural area does not mean that we need to take this situation any less serious. I hope at the end of this I get to say, thank God I live in Winnfield, LA,” stated Tony Acosta, PA_C at Winn Wellness Clinic.

For up to date guidance on COVID-19, Hall advises checking the Louisiana Department of Health website. http://ldh.la.gov/Coronavirus/

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