LCMC Health selected to partner with the State of Louisiana Office of Public Health to continue COVID-19 community testing and support

UMC and LCMC providers provide testing to every resident of the John J. Hainkel Jr. Home & Rehabilitation Center on May 25, 2020.

Testing and technical assistance supports communities across the region

New Orleans, LA – LCMC Health has been selected by the Louisiana Department of Health’s Office of Public Health to provide significantly enhanced testing and support services in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The scope of these services includes staffing of mobile or community COVID-19 testing sites, testing and reporting services, congregate facility testing teams, and infection control strike teams, across Orleans, Jefferson, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Tammany, Washington, Livingston, Tangipahoa, and St. Helen parishes.

The contract, funded by federal monies made available through the CARES Act, was awarded by the State as part of Governor John Bel Edwards’ statewide testing and response strategy. Testing and strike team services are being operationalized to begin as soon as possible and will continue into the foreseeable future.

“LCMC Health was amongst the first providers in the country to mobilize community testing in partnership with local officials and academic partners,” said Greg Feirn, CEO of LCMC Health. “Through this contract, the Governor has recognized LCMC Health’s strong level of experience caring for our community and allows us to expand into other regions and hard-hit facilities like nursing homes. We’re grateful for the State’s partnership and looking forward to providing these vital services.”

Since the onset of the pandemic, LCMC Health has implemented multiple testing strategies throughout the greater

New Orleans area, serving as a national leader in providing access to viral testing for this community, including:

• The region’s first drive-through testing for symptomatic patients at West Jefferson Medical Center. This site screened over 4,000 patients and tested 1,253 patients with an aggregate positive rate of 58%.
• Tent-based Emergency Room annex testing at New Orleans East Hospital, Touro Infirmary, and University Medical Center.
• In partnership with LSUHSC New Orleans, the New Orleans Health Department, and Jefferson Parish, LCMC Health has conducted over 7,000 free tests at community, neighborhood-based walk-up sites. Approximately 3% of all patients are COVID-19 positive and 30% of all patients did not have a form of insurance.
• New Orleans East Hospital offered free testing to all Orleans Parish Criminal Court employees.
• LCMC Health will begin testing First Responders from Region 1 Monday, June 1 on the campus of University Medical Center.

Read more about Governor Edwards’ plan here: http://ldh.la.gov/index.cfm/newsroom/detail/5615