Spencer Hospital and Avera Clinic Establish Drive-Through Testing Site; By Appointment Only

posted on Friday, November 20, 2020 in COVID-19

As dropping northwest Iowa temperatures make drive-through COVID-19 testing more challenging, Spencer Hospital and Avera Medical Group Spencer have jointly developed a covered drive-through testing site, available to patients whose care providers have placed an order for them to receive a COVID-19 test.

“It’s important to emphasize that this testing site is only for people who have an order placed by a local healthcare provider for that individual to be tested,” explained Jordan Reed, Spencer Hospital’s laboratory services director. “This includes someone whose physician is concerned his or her symptoms warrant a COVID-19 test or a patient who requires a test for other medically necessary procedures.” 

Since the COVID-19 public health emergency began in the spring, warmer temperatures allowed both the clinic and the hospital to offer drive-up testing. The week of Nov. 23 will be a transition week, with some tests still being conducted at AMGS’s drive-up testing site and others being directed to the drive-through site. After Nov. 30, it’s anticipated all ordered COVID-19 tests will be directed to the drive-through site next to the hospital’s emergency entrance.

The drive-through testing site is located adjacent to Spencer Hospital’s emergency department entrance, located on Second Avenue East. To access the testing  site, turn south onto East Second off East 13 Street, drive up the ambulance ramp toward the hospital, then take two immediate right turns to turn into the hoop building designated for testing.

Spencer Hospital and Avera Medical Group Spencer staff will verify your test order and collect a sample to be analyzed by the lab. Patients will be notified of their test result by their ordering physician or a member of the physician’s care team.