PHOENIX, June 9, 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) today announced it has launched rapid COVID-19 testing, together with CVS Health, at the nonprofit’s Virginia G. Piper Medical & Dental Clinic for the uninsured. Licensed health care providers from MinuteClinic, the retail medical clinic of CVS Health, and CVS Pharmacy colleagues will staff the testing operation.
“We’re extremely grateful to CVS Health for helping bring COVID-19 testing to the uninsured patients we serve at St. Vincent de Paul,” said Dr. Maurice Lee, SVdP’s chief medical officer. “Not only are we increasing access for people who might otherwise go without medical diagnosis, but we’re also gaining a better understanding of the spread happening within vulnerable populations and in our community as a whole.”
Testing at St. Vincent de Paul’s clinic, located at 420 W. Watkins Road in Phoenix, will be free and open to the public by appointment only. Patients will need to pre-register in advance by calling 602-850-6940 to schedule a same-day time slot for testing. A personal vehicle is not required for testing and results will be provided on-the-spot. To be eligible for testing, patients will need to meet criteria established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in addition to age guidelines.
“Working with partners like St. Vincent de Paul is an important part of our comprehensive strategy to increase access to COVID-19 testing,” said Dr. Garth Graham, Vice President, Community Health and Impact, CVS Health. “This joint effort allows us to tap into the network of a trusted organization with strong community ties to further expand testing in areas of greatest need.”
The CVS Health Foundation, a charitable entity associated with CVS Health, has a longstanding relationship with the National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics, providing more than $9 million over the last six years to help clinics nationwide, like SVdP’s Virginia G. Piper Medical & Dental Clinic, to increase access to care for underserved populations.
“I am proud to have worked with CVS Health and St. Vincent de Paul Clinic on bringing a new, free COVID-19 testing location to my district,” said Congressman Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-7). “The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected low-income, uninsured, and working-class families and minority communities throughout Arizona. I thank CVS Health and St. Vincent de Paul Clinic on collaborating with me to choose a location that will help ensure that everyone, especially underserved populations, has access to this life-saving service.”
St. Vincent de Paul Virginia G. Piper Medical & Dental Clinic treats and heals the uninsured and low-income people of Arizona for free, increasing access to quality health care for a population with few affordable options. Offering almost 16,000 patient visits a year and access to specialty care, the clinic runs on a team of more than 160 volunteer physicians, dentists and other medical professionals. Additionally, it houses the Ben & Catherine Ivy Foundation Center for Family Wellness, which empowers patients to practice preventative care and offers them wellness education on diabetes management, healthy eating and exercise.
In addition to offering testing together with several community partners across the country, CVS Health is offering drive-thru testing at 1,000 CVS Pharmacy locations nationwide. More than half of these CVS Pharmacy test sites serve communities with the greatest need for support, as measured by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Social Vulnerability Index. Since first offering COVID-19 testing at a pilot site in mid-March, the company has performed nearly 200,000 tests nationwide. Beginning in June, CVS Health has a goal of processing up to 1.5 million tests per month subject to availability of supplies and lab capacity.
Media Contact:
Monica Prinzing, CVS Health
[email protected]
(831) 241-8294
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SOURCE CVS Health
