Patient First, 1625 Oregon Pike, Lancaster, has begun drive-up COVID-19 testing by appointment as of May 14. It is the second Patient First center to offer testing in the central Pennsylvania area. Patient First also offers COVID-19 testing at its center on Jonestown Road in Harrisburg, which may contacted by calling 717-943-1566.
All Patient First Medical Centers, including the designated testing centers, remain open on a walk-in basis daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. for patients who have an urgent need for medical or injury care.
Appointments for testing are made by calling a designated testing center. Patients are asked about symptoms and risk factors to determine whether they meet screening criteria based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). To qualify, patients must have at least one of three specific symptoms - coughing, shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing - or they must have at least two of the following symptoms: fever, chills, sore throat, fatigue, body aches or muscle pain, headache, nausea and/or vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, or loss of smell and/or taste.
Also eligible are those who are health care workers or first responders; those who had prolonged contact with - such as living or working closely with - a COVID-19 positive person or a person waiting for COVID-19 test results; those who reside in a nursing home or other congregate living facility; those who are cancer patients who require COVID-19 testing before beginning or resuming treatment; those who are required by their doctor, hospital, or outpatient surgical center to have COVID-19 testing prior to a planned surgery; or those who are required by their employer to have COVID-19 testing prior to beginning or returning to work. Testing is scheduled daily from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 to 6 p.m.
All test samples are collected outside of the center. Patients may remain in their vehicles through the entire process. The staff member collecting samples is equipped with proper personal protective equipment (PPE), including an N95 mask, gloves, eye protection, and a gown.
Samples are sent to a third-party reference lab for testing. Results are generally available in approximately two to five days and accessible on Patient First's Patient Portal. If patients do not already have a Patient First Portal Account set up, they will receive a temporary code allowing them to create one when they arrive for testing.
For most insured patients, there is no out-of-pocket expense for COVID-19 testing. The visit will be submitted to patients' insurance. Patient First accepts all major insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid. For self-pay patients, there is a set cost plus a separate bill from the lab in some cases. The lab determines what, if anything, it bills the patient.
Appointments are not needed for visits unrelated to COVID-19 testing. All Patient First centers have taken steps to provide a safe environment for patients and staff, including requiring all patients and staff to wear masks while inside the center, thoroughly disinfecting surfaces throughout the center at regular intervals, requiring frequent handwashing, and limiting visitors to only essential family members.
To schedule an appointment at the Lancaster center, readers may call 717-925-2995. Updates about testing sites, instructions for making an appointment, and other information are available at http://www.patientfirst.com/covid-19-testing.
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