LOUISIANA HEALTHCARE CONNECTIONS, QUEST DIAGNOSTICS TEAM UP TO INCREASE ACCESS TO COVID-19 TESTING
Date: 05/14/20
COVID-19 test kits distributed to Federally Qualified Health Centers in Baton Rouge, New Orleans
Baton Rouge, La. – Louisiana Healthcare Connections announced today a collaboration with Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX), the world’s leading provider of diagnostic information services, to increase access to real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) COVID-19 testing in critical areas of need in Louisiana.
Through this collaboration, Louisiana Healthcare Connections will facilitate the distribution of Quest COVID-19 test kits to Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), including CareSouth Medical and Dental in Baton Rouge and DePaul Community Health Centers in New Orleans. The FQHCs will conduct testing as part of a broader initiative to test individuals who are symptomatic and asymptomatic in Louisiana’s underserved communities.
“COVID-19 testing is a critical component in Louisiana’s efforts to curb this epidemic,” said Matthew Valliere, CEO of CareSouth. “Testing allows us to quickly identify and respond to cases while helping to prevent future outbreaks. We appreciate Louisiana Healthcare Connections and Quest Diagnostics for sharing our commitment to providing COVID-19 testing to our state’s underserved populations.”
“DePaul Community Health Centers is proud to have been selected to receive COVID-19 virus test kits, and applauds the efforts of Louisiana Healthcare Connections and Quest Diagnostics to combat this virus. Our inclusion in this process greatly aids our mission of helping underserved populations, and bodes well for ensuring that they do not miss this opportunity. This partnership demonstrates the local health care community’s willingness to join forces in times of need,” said Michael G. Griffin, president/CEO of DePaul Community Health Centers.
This collaboration leverages Louisiana Healthcare Connections’ network of critical safety net providers to ensure that testing capacity is routed to where it is needed most. Distribution of kits began May 6, and Quest Diagnostics will conduct the COVID-19 testing through its network of laboratories across the United States.
“As Louisiana works to flatten the curve of COVID-19, these tests are a critical need, especially at our state’s FQHCs and community health centers, which provide quality care to thousands of residents in underserved areas,” said Jamie Schlottman, CEO of Louisiana Healthcare Connections. “Collaborations like these allow us to do our part in making sure our state’s most vulnerable populations have access to testing services in the communities where they live and work.”
"Louisiana's Community Health Centers are literally serving on the front lines in the battle against COVID-19," said Gerrelda Davis, Executive Director of the Louisiana Primary Care Association. "Unfortunately, this pandemic has had a disproportionate toll on our state's underserved and minority populations. Our Community Health Center members, already positioned perfectly to serve these communities, have made it their mission to expand access to COVID-19 testing. With support from Louisiana Healthcare Connections and Quest Diagnostics, CareSouth and DePaul Community Health Centers will be able to expand their testing capacity and more efficiently contain the spread of this virus."
About Louisiana Healthcare Connections
Established to deliver quality healthcare through local, regional and community-based partners, Louisiana Healthcare Connections is a Healthy Louisiana plan headquartered in Baton Rouge, La. Louisiana Healthcare Connections exists to improve the health of its members through focused, compassionate and coordinated care. Because Louisiana Healthcare Connections believes healthy is a way of life, its members benefit from programs and services designed for their personal well-being. For more information, visit www.LouisianaHealthConnect.com.
About Quest Diagnostics
Quest Diagnostics empowers people to take action to improve health outcomes. Derived from the world’s largest database of clinical lab results, our diagnostic insights reveal new avenues to identify and treat disease, inspire healthy behaviors and improve health care management. Quest annually serves one in three adult Americans and half the physicians and hospitals in the United States, and our 47,000 employees understand that, in the right hands and with the right context, our diagnostic insights can inspire actions that transform lives. www.QuestDiagnostics.com.
About COVID-19 Testing by Quest Diagnostics
Quest Diagnostics is at the forefront of response to the COVID-19 pandemic, working to broaden access to laboratory insights to help us all lead healthier lives. We provide both molecular diagnostic and antibody serology tests to aiding the diagnosis of COVID-19 and immune response. Our COVID-19 test services are based on tests that have received or are expected to receive FDA emergency use authorization and which also meet our high standards for quality. We provide data on COVID-19 testing to various federal and state public health authorities, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and participate in studies with government and private institutions, aiding COVID-19 public health response and research. Through our team of dedicated phlebotomists, couriers, air fleet team, and laboratory professionals, Quest Diagnostics won’t stop until quality testing is broadly available to patients and communities across the United States. For more information about the latest developments with our COVID-19 testing, visit: newsroom.questdiagnostics.com/COVIDTestingUpdates