ROCKVILLE, Md. (WMAR) — Kaiser Permanente is opening six drive-up/walk-up COVID-19 testing sites at its Maryland, Virginia, and D.C. locations.
The health giant also announced Tuesday that they are postponing elective surgeries, procedures and check-ups, while expanding its telehealth services, including doctor visits by phone, video, or email.
“As the COVID-19 situation rapidly advances, the demands on the nation’s health care system threaten to exhaust supplies, equipment, and our people. At Kaiser Permanente, we have purposefully moved into a mitigation approach to managing COVID-19,” said Machelle Behzadi, Kaiser Permanente’s vice president of quality and safety, and chief nursing executive. “The health and safety of our members, staff, physicians and community remains our highest priority. The steps we are taking are designed to help us manage the care of those with COVID-19, attend to the health needs of our members, and maintain the health of our workforce.”
The testing will be for Kaiser Permanente members only, and they must have a doctor’s order to get the test.
Testing sites will also have triage areas to prepare for a possible increase of COVID-19 patients.
Kaiser members with scheduled elective procedures or appointments will be contacted to reschedule.
Through its website, Kaiser Permanente can offer thousands of daily video visits for members to receive care from their own homes.
Members are encouraged to use its mail-order pharmacy service, which delivers prescription medicines to members within 3 business days.
