COVID-19 Testing, Education Expands To Southern Dallas Community
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – As Texas begins to reopen, three North Texas health systems are working together with lawmakers to expand access to COVID-19 testing and education in southern Dallas County.
Starting May 18, Baylor Scott & White Health, Methodist Health System, and Parkland Hospital are bringing specimen collection sites and increasing resources to better serve the needs of the community.
"Methodist has been committed to serving the southern sector of Dallas for more than 92 years, with two hospitals in the region," said Methodist Health System CEO Jim Scoggin. "We are happy for the opportunity to collaborate with two other quality systems to offer more tests for patients who need them." Methodist has already offered tests at several southern Dallas County locations and will be offering a new dedicated test site across the street from Methodist Charlton Medical Center, on Wheatland Road.
Parkland is offering four Community Oriented Primary Care health centers.
"Parkland has been on the front lines of Dallas County's fight against COVID-19 since the beginning of the health crisis, managing three large testing sites in North Texas and making ongoing visits to nursing homes and homeless shelters to test at-risk communities," said Fred Cerise, MD, MPH, President and CEO of Parkland Health & Hospital System. "We added testing capability at seven of our Community Oriented Primary Care health centers including four located across south Dallas to provide more convenient access to patients in their own neighborhoods."
Baylor Scott & White is adding a new specimen collection site to its Baylor Scott & White Health and Wellness Center, which was established in 2010 as a public-private partnership between Baylor Scott & White Health and the City of Dallas at the Juanita J. Craft Recreation Center.
"This is an important extension of our service to the community," said Jim Hinton, CEO, Baylor Scott & White Health. "We continue to work to make COVID-19 screening and testing as convenient to Texans as possible." Initially tasked with addressing diabetes, Baylor Scott & White Health and Wellness Center now targets chronic conditions for uninsured and underinsured populations. By addressing the Social Determinants of Health, it has removed or reduced a number of barriers to improving health outcomes for the uninsured and underinsured.
Baylor Scott & White has recently launched a COVID-19 home monitoring digital care journey, enabled through the MyBSWHealth app or website, which will also be offered to those diagnosed with COVID-19 so they can be supported by Baylor Scott & White care teams while quarantined. Community Health Workers at Baylor Scott & White Health and Wellness Center will continue to assist with education and care navigation resources.
Here's a breakdown of testing times and locations:
Methodist's new clinic near Methodist Charlton is open 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Monday-Friday and is by appointment only. To be screened for an appointment, call 214-933-8811.
Parkland's community-based clinics are located at Hatcher Station Health Center, 4600 Scyene Road, Dallas 75210; deHaro-Saldivar Health Center, 1400 N. Westmoreland Road, Dallas 75211; Bluitt-Flowers Health Center, 303 E. Overton Road, 75216; and Southeast Dallas Health Center, 9202 Elam Road, Dallas 75217. They are open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday by appointment only for current Parkland patients who meet the medically necessary criteria with a Parkland physician's order.
Parkland patients can call the COVID-19 patient line at 214-590-8060 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Testing for non-Parkland patients is available at 9191 S. Polk Street (Ellis Davis Field House) and 2500 Victory Plaza (American Airlines Center) daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or until the maximum number of tests is reached.
In addition, Parkland offers drive-through testing for Parkland patients at 4811 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas 75235 parking lot.
For Baylor Scott & White Health and Wellness Center at the Juanita J. Craft Recreation Center, those who have questions or concerns about their risk of infection with COVID-19 can call (972) 817-6259. Patients may be sent to the center for specimen collection after consultation with a representative by phone. Baylor Scott & White Health and Wellness Center is located at 4500 Spring Ave, Dallas, TX 75210.
The health systems will re-evaluate the need for the sites in 60 days.
