Sanford Health offers COVID-19 tests for Smithfield outbreak
Contact:
Shawn Neisteadt
Sanford Health Media Relations
605-366-2432 / shawn.neisteadt@sanfordhealth.org
@SanfordShawnN
SIOUX FALLS, S.D., April 11, 2020 — Sanford Health is offering COVID-19 testing for those impacted by the Smithfield Foods outbreak as well as others exposed to the virus in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
To minimize wait times, individuals who want a test need to call ahead to schedule a time for testing. The phone number to schedule a test is (605) 333-4444. Testing is available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day of the week.
You do not need to have a Sanford provider to be tested. There is no cost to the patient for COVID-19 testing.
“Every one of us has a job to do. For most of us, this means staying home and taking other precautions to prevent the spread of the virus,” said Paul Hanson, president of Sanford Health’s Sioux Falls region. “At Sanford Health, our job is to do everything we can for our community in a time of need. Our entire health care team is ready. These are extraordinary times, but we are extraordinary people. We are caregivers. This is what we do and we are prepared to do it.”
Testing is available for those who have been exposed to a known COVID-19 patient or are experiencing symptoms. Depending on volume, test results are generally available within 24-48 hours.
Sanford has capacity to process approximately 500 tests per day. In March, Sanford launched its own in-house COVID-19 testing and has since processed nearly 6,400 tests. Sanford started drive-thru testing at the Sanford Sports Complex Acute Care Clinic just after the first confirmed cases in South Dakota.
Drive-thru testing directions and location:
- Please call ahead to (605) 333-4444 for an appointment to minimize wait times.
- Please limit car occupants to the patient and one adult as necessary.
- Minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
- Providers may recommend patient be seen in person in clinic if condition warrants, or if unable to obtain adequate sample with patient in vehicle.
- Sanford Sports Complex Acute Care Clinic
Respiratory Clinic and COVID-19 drive-thru testing
4000 N Hercules Ave, Sioux Falls, SD 57107
Sanford is also offering video visits and e-visits for COVID-19 care. For e-visits, patients complete an online questionnaire about symptoms and a Sanford provider will respond within two hours with a treatment plan or prescription, or instruction to be seen in-person.
About Sanford Health
Sanford Health, one of the largest health systems in the United States, is dedicated to the integrated delivery of health care, genomic medicine, senior care and services, global clinics, research and affordable insurance. Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the organization includes 44 hospitals, 1,400 physicians and more than 200 Good Samaritan Society senior care locations in 26 states and nine countries. Nearly $1 billion in gifts from philanthropist Denny Sanford have transformed how Sanford Health improves the human condition.
