Fort Bend County and AccessHealth have collaborated to open the first county-supported COVID-19 testing site and online screening tool.
Those in our community who are experiencing symptoms and want testing must utilize an online screening tool, developed by Houston-based Health Tech company, Luminare, to access medical screening which will, in turn, determine their eligibility for testing. Fort Bend County and AccessHealth will deploy QuickScreen on the internet via www.fbchealth.org.
There is no cost to those who need testing, but access to testing will only be granted after completion of the online screening and the medical screening. After screening is complete, people receive a unique testing code that will be required at the testing site.
Initial testing efforts will focus on those at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19 include:
- Healthcare professionals and first responders
- People aged 60 years and older
- People who live in a nursing home or long-term care facility
- People with other high-risk conditions such as but not limited to:
- People with chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma
- People who have serious heart conditions
- People who are immunocompromised including cancer treatment
- People of any age with severe obesity (body mass index [BMI] >40) or certain underlying medical conditions, particularly if not well controlled, such as those with diabetes, renal failure, or liver disease, pregnant women
“Fort Bend County is committed to increasing the level of testing for our residents. In this light, I am proud to announce that we have collaborated with AccessHealth, our longtime community partner, to bring a free COVID-19 testing site to Fort Bend County,” said Fort Bend County Judge and Director of the Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management, KP George. “If you are seeking to be tested, it is critical you follow the policies and procedures to ensure a smooth process for everyone involved.”
The testing site will operate as long as there are supplies readily available.
Dr. Jacquelyn Minter, Local Health Authority and Director of Fort Bend County Health & Human Services, “AccessHealth will administer the testing and will provide the administrative and medical staff, along with the laboratory needed for this operation while Fort Bend County provides the infrastructure, security, personal protective equipment (PPE) and supplies. This collaboration is an extension of our existing partnership, and we could not be more thankful.”
“AccessHealth is prepared and ready to expand our long-standing partnership with Fort Bend County Health and Human Services to include COVID-19 screening and testing,” said AccessHealth CEO, Mike Dotson. “Our staff are positioned to assist residents, many of whom are eager to get screened for COVID-19. If that’s you, we ask that you follow the process that starts with online screening or phone screening for those who don’t have online access, and you’ll be directed from there. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. We’re obliged for the opportunity to serve the Fort Bend community in this capacity.”
Luminare, supported by Microsoft for Startups, has the goal of empowering individuals to understand if they are at risk for COVID-19 and to seek medical attention accordingly so exposure to the community can be limited. In addition, the COVID-19 self-assessment platform will help decrease potential exposure to healthcare workers, avoid emergency room overcrowding, and allow efficient communication between the health department and the population at large. “We’ve had 70,000 people to date use our self-assessment platform as a funnel towards testing for COVID on site. As we roll expand coverage areas soon we will be able to predict where a surge in-hospital is expected to happen weeks prior to it happening”, said Luminare CEO & Co-founder Sarma Velamuri.
Fort Bend County residents may choose any of the sites for screening, as Harris County and Houston sites are still open to Fort Bend County residents.
A virtual press conference is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on: www.facebook.com/judgekpgeorge/
Please submit media questions to Xavier Herrera, Communications Director for the County Judge’s Office, at Xavier.Herrera@FortBendCountyTx.Gov by 1:00 p.m.
For questions related to AccessHealth, contact Lacie Sumpter, 281-633-3157 or lsumpter@myaccesshealth.org. To learn more about Luminare, visit www.Luminaremed.com or email info@luminaremed.com.
Parties interested in obtaining access to the software platform should contact covid19@luminaremed.com.
To learn more about COVID-19 (Coronavirus), please visit; https://www.fbchealth.org/ncov/