LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A private Arkansas lab secured 30,000 COVID-19 tests to help Arkansans over the next few weeks.
Those tests will be used at drive-thru sites like New Life Church in North Little Rock which is running daily from 10-4 until April 11.
"So many times, we’ve seen it even today, there are patients that have been symptomatic for a while that have not had any access to testing whatsoever," Steve Harrison said.
Steve Harrison, CEO of Natural State Laboratories, was able to secure those kits from two larger laboratories in Texas and California.
"Those reference laboratories have access to manufacture their own type kits here in the US. So, that's very fortunate," he said.
The kits will be shipped back to those laboratories for results, where they can run up to 50-thousand tests a week.
"With our process, we're getting results turned around within 72 hours," Harrison said.
Natural State Labs partnered with Sniffle Health to screen patients online first.
"When the patient drives up, we will make sure that they got their driver's license and insurance card," Harrison said
You will then be connected to an Arkansas based doctor or nurse practitioner through an iPad and asked a series of questions. If you meet the criteria, you will be given a test in your car.
"We will have nurses there that will actually swab the patient," Harrison said.
Your results will be reported directly to your primary care doctor, the doctor you spoke with online at the site and the health department.
"If they don’t have a primary care physician, it's a great place for people to engage with Sniffle Health and they will make sure that patient has access to testing," Harrison said.
Limited testing has proven to be an issue not only in Arkansas but nationwide.
"It's been taxing for the governor, it's been taxing for the health department," he said.
Harrison hopes this will alleviate some of that burden.
"That's our whole purpose right now is to just give back to the state of Arkansas," he said.
Sniffle Health has waived its co-pay to get screened and patients will not be billed for the COVID-19 tests.
Here is a complete list of locations where Sniffle Health and Natural State Laboratories will be set up:
- North Little Rock, 800 Crystal Hill Road (New Life Church) -- Tue, March 31 - Sat, April 11 from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.
- Arkadelphia, 410 Ouachita St (OBU football field) -- Wed, April 1 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
- Hope, 2500 S Main St (U of A at Hope) -- Friday, April 3 from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.
- Texarkana, 509 E 9th St (Lansdale Family Clinic) -- Mon, April 6 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
- De Queen, 1306 W. Collin Raye Drive (former DeQueen Medical Center parking lot) -- Wed, April 8 from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.
- Nashville, TBD -- Thursday, April 9 from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.
- Crossett, 103 East 3rd Avenue (Dr. Barry Thompson Clinic) -- Mon, April 13 from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
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