COVID-19 testing underway in Seymour, North Vernon

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In the first week of new COVID-19 testing sites opening locally, 142 people were tested for the virus.

The Seymour site, established through a partnership between the Jackson County Health Department and Schneck Medical Center, had 98 patients tested. Five of the tests came back positive.

The North Vernon site, which is a partnership between the Jennings County Health Department and Schneck, had 54 people tested with zero returning positive.

Both opened Sept. 15.

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Seymour has offered free testing at different sites in recent months through OptumServe, but this was a first for North Vernon, said Amy Pettit, vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer for Schneck.

"They were super excited to have our Schneck resources available so that they could offer this testing for their county," she said during a Schneck board of trustees meeting Monday night. "While Jackson County has had Optum from an early point on when testing was available, Jennings County has not had free testing whatsoever, so this is the first time that that testing is being made available in Jennings County for free."

Seymour’s clinic is in the former Indiana State Police post building at 721 E. Tipton St., and the North Vernon clinic is at the North Vernon Education and Training Center at 1200 W. County Road 150N.

A room on the left side of the building in Seymour was renovated to be set up for testing, while North Vernon officials allowed the use of a section of the Education and Training Center for free.

"This building is an old nursing home, so this allowed us to have that private entrance so no one else in the building would be impacted," Pettit said of the North Vernon site.

Hours of operation at both locations are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays. They are closed Sundays and Mondays.

Patients do not have to be exhibiting any symptoms to be tested, as some people can have the virus and be asymptomatic.

There also are no county residency restrictions.

"If someone from another county wanted to come here to be tested, we would test them here," Pettit said.

Appointments may be scheduled online at scheduling.coronavirus.in.gov or patients can walk in and register onsite. Testing and related educational material are provided for free.

The sites will remain open through June 30, 2021, but Pettit said it could be extended an additional 12 months if the Indiana State Department of Health feels they are still needed.

Schneck board member Matt Reedy asked Pettit if the people tested so far were asymptomatic.

"It’s hard telling. We don’t track that information," Pettit said. "That’s information that is provided through Zotec through the Indiana State Department of Health; however, because they really are the ones running the test, we don’t get back that information. What I will tell you is the large majority of patients who come to the free testing locations are asymptomatic or have been exposed and are concerned about having it."

The state health department provided local health departments with up to $100,000 per testing site through CARES Act funding, Pettit said.

The tiers of support are based on the county’s 2019 population, and she said Jackson County fell into the top tier and received the full amount.

Each site is provided all of the testing supplies; personal protective equipment; material to store and take the test; cleaning supplies; and a technology package with printers, cartridges, iPads and the Zotec web-based patient registration platform that OptumServe is using.

Pettit said both health departments had to apply for the grant, and Schneck assisted in the application process.

Once the grants were awarded, she said Debbie Pettay and Denise Fleenor with the Schneck laboratory were instrumental in making sure the hospital staff members hired to work at the clinic were trained, and Rachel Stangland helped set up both clinics and ensured they had what they needed.

Previously, testing was offered at the American Legion Post 89 Annex and Margaret R. Brown Elementary School.

It then moved to the third floor of the Schneck Professional Building and will remain there through Sept. 30.

Starting Oct. 1, it will be housed at the former Brownstown Town Hall building at 200 W. Walnut St.

Since Schneck also serves Scott and Washington counties, Pettit said she reached out about offering testing sites there. She learned the Scott County Health Department has a testing site, but Washington County doesn’t.

"I will be reaching out to them to see if there’s a possibility that we could if interested and get grant funding and partner with them," Pettit said.

Board President Rick Smith lauded Schneck’s efforts.

"I think it’s great we worked out a partnership with the Jennings County Health Department, as well," he said. "I think it’s great when you reach out to counties that surround us offering an opportunity for them to get tested."

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What: COVID-19 testing

When: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays

Where: Former Indiana State Police post, 721 E. Tipton St., Seymour; North Vernon Education and Training Center, 1200 W. County Road 150N, North Vernon

Who: Open to all; there are no county residency restrictions

Cost: Free

Appointments can be scheduled online at scheduling.coronavirus.in.gov or patients can walk in and register onsite.

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