MADERA — Madera Community Hospital announced this week that they have improved their COVID-19 test result time to less than 60 minutes.
Until this week, people tested for COVID-19 in Madera County relied on the public health lab or national commercial laboratories to process their test results. Those test results were not typically known until two to seven days later.
Now with the introduction of Cepheid Automated Molecular Testing, Madera Community Hospital has the ability to process up to four COVID-19 tests per hour, 24 hours a day, seven days a week — and receive the results in less than 60 minutes.
If needed, Madera Community Hospital can process up to 96 tests in one 24-hour period.
Hospitals, unlike public health departments and private laboratories, never close. “This is unprecedented access to nearly immediate resulting of a COVID-19 Test,” said Bakht Roshan, MD, Board Certified in Infectious Disease. “Our hospital’s forward thinking and operational acuity provides Madera County Residents with the gold standard of testing to reduce the spread of COVID-19.”
Madera Community Hospital’s launch of COVID-19 testing followed Fresno County’s announcement of decreasing testing wait time through a partnership with CSU Fresno.
“Adding the processing of COVID-19 testing to our clinical capabilities put our hospital in the forefront of relieving the anxiousness associated with pandemic,” said CEO Karen Paolinelli.
“In house processing of COVID-19 tests during National Laboratory Week, April 19 – 25, 2020, is an acknowledgement of our hospital’s professional team of Phlebotomists, Medical Laboratory Technicians, and 21 Certified Lab Scientists who are all state licensed and nationally certified,” Paolinelli added.
If you think you need to be tested for COVID-19, call 559-675-5530 for an appointment to be screened by a healthcare provider.
For more information on COVID-19, testing statistics and how you can help, visit www.MaderaHospital.org/COVID-19.
