A pop-up coronavirus (COVID-19) testing facility will open at the Hudson River Health Care (HRHCare) Kraus Family Health Center in Southampton on Thursday, April 30.
The testing facility, which is next door to the Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, will offer free testing to any uninsured residents. The Hamptons Health Society, a nonprofit devoted to improving healthcare, raised $20,000 to fund the site.
The county and state governments are sponsoring some testing sites in Suffolk County so that residents won’t be charged for the service, but HRHCare Chief Operating Officer Allison Dubois said “those outlets and resources weren’t available in Southampton.”
The Southampton testing facility will operate on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. by appointment only, according to a press release. It’s not a drive-through, so patients will need to leave their cars to be tested.
HRHCare recommends that residents with “shortness of breath, a persistent cough, temperature above 100.5 degrees,” or who have “been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19” call (845) 553-8030 to make an appointment.
Dubois said that people who have been tested at the site will get a telemedicine appointment with their results.
“We really are excited to offer testing in a primary care setting because we want to make sure it’s not just about the test, it’s also about whether folks are feeling better and having their symptoms monitored,” she said.
The health center’s press release emphasized that “no one will be turned away due to insurance or immigration status,” which Dubois said “doesn’t matter” at any HRHCare testing site.
“We want to overcome any barriers or fears that people might have about testing access,” she said. “Regardless, we don’t ask any questions about immigration.”
The Hamptons Health Society has also raised money to buy ventilators for Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, and purchased personal protective equipment for local healthcare workers, according to the press release.
The site is on property owned by Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, but testing will be staffed by HRHCare. Dubois said that the hospital has helped with community outreach and some logistics support.
HRHCare, which manages health centers in lower New York, is operating six other pop-up testing sites in Suffolk County — those sites include Huntington, Amityville, Brentwood, Coram, Winedaunch and Riverhead.
Dubois said that HRHCare is also hoping to use vans to hold “a couple of targeted events in Greenport.”
