City of Providence Announces Launch of Open Door Health Test Site
City of Providence Announces Launch of Open Door Health Test Site
New CVS Health Drive-Thru Test Sites Open in Frontline Communities
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Mayor Jorge O. Elorza, Governor Gina M. Raimondo, Open Door Health and Southside Cultural Center of Rhode Island today announced the launch of a new drive-up and walk-up COVID-19 test site at 393 Broad Street which will open Monday, June 8. Additionally, CVS Health has announced the launch of two new CVS Health drive-thru test sites located in Providence’s frontline communities.
“While our state continues to fight against COVID-19, locally we have built our own local testing system that serves our unique neighborhoods,” said Mayor Jorge O. Elorza. “As one of our newest community health partners, I want to thank Open Door Health for responding to the needs of our neighbors and serving them during these difficult times.”
In collaboration with Open Door Health, drive-thru and walk-up COVID-19 testing will begin June 8 in the parking lot of the Southside Cultural Center of Rhode Island, down the street from the Open Door Health clinic. Open Door Health first opened its facility on 7 Central Street earlier this year, inspired by the need for primary care and other preventative and sexual health services for the LGBTQ+ community.
“Overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic requires rapid, readily available testing for all Rhode Islanders,” said Governor Raimondo. “Thanks to our partnerships with Southside Cultural Center of Rhode Island and Open Door Health, we will be able to better protect historically underserved communities from the spread of COVID-19. I look forward to continuing to work together as we expand our testing operations across the state.”
Through the launch of its COVID-19 testing site, the clinic offers existing and new patients access to testing Monday through Thursday from 12:00PM – 4:00PM. Patient in-take and testing will be conducted by Open Door Health staff with the goal of completing more than 50 tests a day upon launch. Referral from a primary care physician and insurance are not required. Open Door Health encourages patients to call 401- 648-4700 for assistance and to find more detailed clinic information can also be found here<https://odhpvd.org/>.
“Open Door Health is proud to partner with the City, the State, and the Southside Cultural Center of Rhode Island to screen Rhode Islanders for COVID,” said Dr. Amy Nunn, Executive Director of Open Door Health and the RI Public Health Institute. “The communities we serve often have higher rates of COVID and many other health disparities. This new testing site will serve as a safe and inclusive resource for both the LGBTQIA community and our surrounding neighborhoods. Our talented team of medical professionals and staff stand ready to continue to serve our community during this pandemic, and we look forward to opening this important testing site.”
Testing sites across the city offer multilingual services, free testing and ensures that all personal information is used solely for healthcare related need. Additional testing support has been supplemented by supplies from the State of Rhode Island. The City continues to work closely with the State and the National Guard to identify opportunities to establish and expand COVID-19 test sites.
“Southside Cultural Center of Rhode Island is pleased to partner with Rhode Island Public Health Institute (RIPHI) and Open Door Health to offer COVID screening in the heart of our neighborhood,” the organization noted. “We support this partnership in the spirit of our ongoing commitment to the a healthy cultural and artistic community.”
This past week, CVS Health also announced the opening of 10 new testing sites across Rhode Island, two of which are located in Providence. These test sites offer self-swab tests patients can take from their car at the pharmacy drive-thru window with the support of a CVS Pharmacy team member to ensure it is done properly. CVS pharmacies located on 935 Manton Avenue and 960 Broad Street are currently seeing patients with appointments made in advance<https://www.cvs.com/
Residents are also encouraged to keep a daily contact journal or record their interactions using the Crush COVID RI<https://health.ri.gov/