City of Jacksonville Adds COVID-19 Drive Thru Testing Site in Collaboration with Baptist Health and Telescope Health

The City of Jacksonville, Baptist Health and Telescope Health are collaborating to provide Duval County residents with an additional drive-thru COVID-19 testing option at the Prime Osborn Convention Center, located at 1000 Water Street in downtown Jacksonville. Before coming to the testing site, patients must complete a screening and receive a physician order through the virtual health platform Telescope Health. Physician orders from other sources will not be accepted.

The drive-thru testing site, which will be located directly behind the convention center in the west parking lot, will launch Friday, March 20, at 11 a.m. To avoid long lines and to encourage social distancing, patients will be assigned to hourly time slots to come to the site for their test. Patients without an assigned time slot and order from Telescope Health will be turned away.

The Prime Osborn testing site will be open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., subject to availability of supplies. Patients do not need health insurance to get tested.

“With more testing opportunities for those individuals who need it, the City will have better and more accurate information that will help us flatten the curve and reduce the spread of Coronavirus in our community,” said Mayor Lenny Curry. “Thanks to Baptist Health and Telescope Health for their collaboration on this important effort.”

To get screened and receive the necessary Telescope Health physician order for a drive-thru test, patients must take the following steps:

• Go to TelescopeHealth.com or download the Telescope Health app in the Apple or Android app store and register for a free account.
• The one-time registration process takes a few minutes and will not need to be repeated for future visits.
• Complete your virtual doctor visit during the hours of 6 a.m. to midnight any day of the week using any phone or tablet device equipped with a camera and microphone.
• The physician you speak with will determine if you meet the following criteria for COVID-19 testing:

       -A fever of 100.4°F or higher combined with either a dry cough or shortness of breath, OR

       -Travel on any cruise ship within the past 14 days or travel to a known COVID-19 hotspot and are experiencing any of the symptoms above.

       -This testing will be prioritizing those in the community who are ages 65 are over, have pre-existing conditions, healthcare workers and/or first responders.

• If you qualify for testing following your Telescope Health evaluation, the physician will send you an order for testing at the drive-thru location at a specific date and time (and you must bring this order with you to the testing site).

       -You may show it on your phone or print out the order showing name, date and time of appointment and place it on your driver’s side dashboard.

       -For any signature required as part of the testing process, patients are asked to bring their own pen to avoid exposing others.

To get tested at the drive-thru:

• Bring your driver’s license and Telescope Health physician order.
• Stay in your car, don’t roll down your window, and follow the instructions from staff or on the signage.
• A staff member wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) will perform a nasal swab that will be sent to a state-approved lab for testing. 
• Results should take 3-5 days and all who are tested WILL receive a phone call to the number entered during the Telescope Health registration process. 

"There are a limited number of tests currently available nationwide and locally, so we want to prioritize those with the highest risk factors,” said Matthew Rill, MD, an emergency medicine physician and CEO of Telescope Health. “Every test that we complete at the drive-thru should ease the burden that COVID-19 is placing on our community and healthcare resources.”

After the testing, all patients will be asked to self-quarantine while awaiting results. Instructions for isolation and social distancing will be provided online.

“Our goal with this collaboration is to do everything we can to take care of and support our community in this concerning time,” said Brett S. McClung, FACHE, president and CEO of Baptist Health “This is not just about increasing access to testing, though that is critically important; it’s also about reducing anxiety and supporting the health of our community with compassionate and timely care, communication, and education.”

For more information about COVID-19, please visit baptistjax.com/covid19 or sign up for articles likes these. For the continuous updates from the City of Jacksonville’s response efforts, visit www.JaxReady.com/Virus.