Visalia Medical Clinic offers rapid COVID-19 testing for patients, community
Visalia Medical Clinic offers rapid COVID-19 testing for patients, community
VISALIA – Visalia Medical Clinic is now offering rapid testing for
people with and without symptoms of COVID-19.
The rapid COVID-19 test is available to patients of Visalia Medical Clinic
and to individuals who see a provider at:
- QuickCare, 5400 W. Hillsdale Ave. in Visalia
- Sequoia Prompt Care, 1110 S. Ben Maddox Way, Ste. B, in Visalia.
“Our top priority is people who are symptomatic or who have had a
definite exposure to someone with COVID-19,” said Dr. Bruce Hall,
an Internal Medicine physician and Chief Medical Officer of Kaweah Delta
Medical Foundation, which owns and operates the Visalia clinic. “We’re
happy to test people who want to travel or return to work or school as
long as we have adequate testing supplies.”
Last month, Visalia Medical Clinic became the first Kaweah Delta Health
Care District location to launch rapid testing on the Quidel Sofia-2 platform.
The District recently acquired 20 analyzers in partnership with the Tulare
County Health & Human Services Agency using CARES act funds. The antigen
test uses a less-invasive swab in the front of the nose, which the analyzer
can process in 15 minutes.
The rapid test is something physicians at the clinic wanted in place before
Fall, the start of cold and flu season, said Dr. Robert Allen, a family
medicine physician and medical director of the clinic’s laboratory.
A taskforce worked with leaders at Kaweah Delta, including Randall Kokka,
Director of Laboratory Services, who was instrumental and relentless in
securing the rapid testing platform for the community, Allen said. “This
cold and flu season, we need to know, do you have the flu or do you have
COVID?” he said, noting that a positive Quidel test suggests that
a person is infective; the test only detects higher levels of the virus.
The rapid test has given providers peace of mind, said Tate Gordon, a Physician
Assistant-Certified, who cares for patients at Visalia Medical Clinic’s
walk-in clinic, QuickCare. “It’s been amazing to have someone
walk in with symptoms and minutes later have results and know exactly
what’s wrong with them,” he said. “This virus is scary.
You don’t know what’s going to happen to people. Having immediate
results eases me a little because I can watch them over the next week
to make sure they are OK.”
Visalia Medical Clinic offers the expertise of providers who offer a wide
variety of specialties, along with telehealth visits, a lab, imaging,
physical therapy and more. Walk-in care is available at QuickCare and
Sequoia Prompt Care. For information, call 739-2000 or visit
www.vmchealth.com.