Harrisburg, PA - Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine today highlighted the results of a testing partnership established with the goal of expanding COVID-19 testing in hot spots of Lebanon County. Welsh Mountain Health Centers, Latino Connection, and Aetna Better Health partnered to host 10, two-hour COVID-19 testing events in Lebanon in July and August. The events collectively administered 487 tests and provided additional resources and services to hundreds of community members.
“We are excited to learn of how successful the testing efforts between Welsh Mountain Health Centers, Latino Connection and Aetna Better Health were in Lebanon County,” Dr. Levine said. “Incorporating food and resources distributions along with education about the virus are actions that we encourage more Federally Qualified Health Centers and organizations across Pennsylvania to take to stop the spread of COVID-19.”
The department supplied specimen collection, personal protective equipment, and the use of the Bureau of Laboratories to process the tests.
The events also provided residents with services and resources to improve their overall health. Latino Connection used a separate partnership with Aetna Better Health to operate a health and wellness mobile unit. This mobile unit, also known as Cora, short for Corazón (meaning heart) in Spanish, allowed for more direct interaction between healthcare workers and community members during the testing events.
Welsh Mountain Health Centers distributed 1,300 boxes of food, including fresh produce, to each of the 650 community members. They also distributed more than 1,200 bags that included masks, hand sanitizer and COVID-19 information in English and Spanish.
In addition, Welsh Mountain Health Centers identified a few hundred people who did not have a healthcare provider and worked to ensure they have a source for healthcare moving forward. Furthermore, Welsh Mountain Health Centers and Latino Connection registered more than 40 people to vote and provided access to completing the census.
“The community response was extremely positive,” Jackie Concepcion, Chief Executive Officer of Welsh Mountain Health Centers, said. “Overall, we feel this was a great success. Our providers and clinical team were very pleased with the outcomes and shared that this made them feel more connected to the community”.
For more information about COVID-19 testing near you, visit the Department of Health’s website, www.health.pa.gov.
MEDIA CONTACT: Nate Wardle - 717-787-1783
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