Mercy Regional Medical Center is now offering widespread community testing for coronavirus, marking the second health care facility in the region to make tests widely available.
In a statement issued Tuesday, Mercy officials said a test would be offered to anyone who needs one at the Emergency Department, as well as seven days a week at Durango’s Centura Centers for Occupational Medicine clinic for all those who have a medical provider referral, effectively immediately.
Mercy, Durango’s largest health care facility, had previously been testing only patients who arrived at the hospital with severe symptoms. It appears, however, the facility was able to obtain a better supply of test kits to expand its services.
Now, Mercy said it can test anyone with known symptoms of COVID-19.
“As access to supply improves, we have progressively increased COVID-19 testing,” Shauna Gulley, chief clinical officer for Centura Health, Mercy’s parent company, said in a news release. “We have now expanded testing to rural communities.”
Mercy did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday.
According to the news release, test results should be returned within one to two days. It’s unclear how much the tests cost.
The local lab Cedar Diagnostics became the first facility to offer widespread testing on April 9 in three locations: Durango, Cortez and Pagosa Springs.
To date, Cedar Diagnostics has tested 800 people in the region, with 16 coming back positive. Mercy has continually declined to release testing information.
Local health officials have touted Southwest Colorado’s ability to test patients as other parts of the country still suffer from a lack of testing kits.
Liane Jollon, executive director of San Juan Basin Public Health, could not be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon. But, she said in previous interviews testing is one of the most important aspects of a virus outbreak, helping heath officials track the disease and get an understanding of how widespread it is in the region.
“Fighting any disease starts with diagnostic testing,” she said. “It is the most important tool we have to determine how to conduct our other efforts to control it.”
jromeo@durangoherald.com