HANCOCK COUNTY — Health officials have emphasized the importance of data in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic since the first cases were reported. Much of that data comes from testing, which continues to be available at four locations in Hancock County. Below is an explanation of where they are, how to schedule an appointment and what patients should expect upon arrival.
Indiana National Guard Armory, 410 Apple St., Greenfield
OptumServe Health Services offers free nasal swab COVID-19 tests in the armory to anyone. Patients schedule appointments at lhi.care/covidtesting, where they also complete screening questions.
The testing site is set up so that patients can follow social distancing guidelines established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Guidelines are also enforced by on-location staff. Only patients are allowed in the testing facility, with the exception of a parent accompanying their child to be tested.
Test results are typically back within four to six days.
There are no out-of-pocket expenses for the tests, but if patients have health insurance, it will be billed for the test. Patients do not need to have health insurance to be tested.
Hancock Immediate Care, 124 W. Muskegon Drive, Greenfield; Gateway Immediate Care, 6189 W. John L. Modglin Drive, Greenfield
Hancock Health offers nasal swab COVID-19 tests at both of its immediate care centers. Walk-ins are not accepted and patients have to reserve a spot, which can be done on the homepage of the hospital’s website, hancockregionalhospital.org.
The online service lets patients know how long waits are, allows them to choose when they’d like to arrive, lets them set contact preferences to text message or email and notifies patients when it’s their turn.
Craig Felty, vice president, chief nursing officer and chief operating officer of Hancock Regional Hospital, said immediate care staff come out to patients’ vehicles to administer the tests. He added patients with COVID-19 symptoms will get their test results within an hour or two, while tests for those without symptoms will get sent to a lab, which takes three to five days for results to come back.
Without insurance, COVID-19 tests at the immediate care centers cost $150.
First Care, 1317 N. State St., Greenfield
Referrals are not required for COVID-19 tests at this urgent care and walk-in clinic, which accepts insurance. Patients can schedule appointments at firstcareclinics.com.
When scheduling online, patients can upload photos of their ID and health insurance card to expedite the check-in process.
Alex Shoulders, a regional manager for First Care Clinics, said clinics are booking out COVID-19 tests three days in advance due to the high demand for the tests. Clinics also accepts walk-ins, but are limited to how many they can accept due to the demand.
When a patient schedules an appointment, they’ll receive a text message from the clinic to which they will reply "here" when they arrive. A nurse practitioner or medical assistant will call the patient to ask them questions. Then staff will come out to the patient’s vehicle, get their vitals and administer the nasal swab test. Results normally come back in about 15 minutes, Shoulders said.
First Care patients who don’t have health insurance can get their COVID-19 tests covered through the Health Resources and Services Administration if they qualify. The clinic can help patients apply for the assistance. The base cost for a test is about $140, according to an explanation-of-benefits insurance document sent this week.
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COVID-19 Data
Hancock County
- 160 new individuals tested between July 14 and Aug. 19
- 3 new positive cases on Aug. 20
- 4.9% positivity rate between Aug. 8 and 14
- 0 new deaths
- 12,375 individuals tested
- 738 cases
- 6% positivity rate
- 41 deaths
Indiana
- 13,139 new individuals tested, 20,285 new tests administered between April 24 and Aug. 20
- 1,050 new cases between Aug. 14 and 20
- 7.5% seven-day positivity rate between Aug. 8 and 14
- 13 new deaths between Aug. 8 and 20
- 958,432 individuals tested, 1,240,082 tests administered
- 84,317 positive cases
- 8.8% positivity rate
- 2,992 deaths
- 52.4% ICU beds in use – non-COVID
- 10.9% ICU beds in use – COVID
- 36.7% ICU beds available
- 15.1% ventilators in use – non-COVID
- 2.8% ventilators in use – COVID
- 82.1% ventilators available
- Hospital census: 860
Source: Indiana State Department of Health as of 11:59 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 20
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