Hospitals Offer Alternatives for COVID Testing

Franciscan Health and Indiana University Health are seeing an upswing in patients across the board accessing the emergency department. As the number of children and families seeking care for COVID-19 and other ailments continues to soar, hospital administrators are offering alternatives to treatment and testing for COVID-19.

“The bottom line is we are seeing record volumes in the emergency departments,” explained Daniel Wickert, MD, vice president of medical services at Franciscan Health. “We have broken capacity records over and over the past several days and it is for a host of reasons.”

With an increased number of patients, people can expect longer waits to be seen in the emergency departments.

“Doctors will triage the most serious cases, so please be patient,” shared Wickert.

“Unless your child is very sick, think twice before bringing him or her to the emergency department for a COVID test,” added James Bien, MD, chief medical officer for IU Health.

Both hospital administrators agree that parents are better off taking mildly ill children to be tested at a doctor’s office or urgent care site. If children are eating, breathing without difficulty and can keep their food down, the best place for them to be is at home with their parents.

Alternatives for COVID-19 testing include: 

Franciscan Health patients are advised to:

Anyone needing a COVID-19 test (symptomatic, asymptomatic or pre-procedural) will need a doctor’s order and appointment as no walk-ins are allowed at this time. Once you’ve called to schedule your appointment, further directions will be given for next steps and where the testing will take place.

• Franciscan Physician Network: Current patients of Franciscan Physician Network primary care offices may contact their provider’s office to schedule an appointment for COVID-19 testing. These primary care offices will do COVID-19 testing for both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients if they are a current Franciscan Physician Network patient.
• Franciscan Health Lafayette: COVID-19 testing is available at the hospital. Patients must have a physician order and pre-register by calling (765) 423-6170. Appointment times for testing are Monday – Friday 8 – 11:30 am.
• Franciscan Health Crawfordsville: COVID-19 testing is available at the hospital. Patients must have a physician order and pre-register by calling (800) 411-5556.
  • Appointment times for testing are Monday – Friday
    • Symptomatic patients: 3 – 4 pm
    • Pre-procedural patients: 6 am – 6 pm

Franciscan Health Rensselaer: COVID-19 testing is available at the hospital. Patients must have a physician order and pre-register by calling (219) 866-2026.

• • Appointment times for testing are as follows:
    • Symptomatic patients: Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 9 – 10 am
    • Pre-procedural patients: Monday – Friday 7 am – 3:30 pm and Saturday 8 am – Noon

A Franciscan ExpressCare Virtual Visit is also an option if you have COVID-19 symptoms or think you may have been exposed. To start a virtual urgent care appointment, go to FranciscanExpressCare.org and click on the Virtual Visit orange button or if you are a Franciscan MyChart user, you can launch a virtual appointment right in the app. During the virtual appointment, a medical provider will assess you and recommend the next best steps.

If would prefer to see a provider in person,FranciscanExpressCare.org also has a complete list of Franciscan ExpressCare locations.

IU Health patients are advised to:

Patients who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or think they may have been exposed to the virus, may use the free virtual visits app or call their healthcare provider. Staffed 24/7 with IU Health physicians, advance practice providers and registered nurses, the virtual clinic will screen individuals via video. If warranted, a COVID test will be scheduled and next steps will be provided.

A COVID-19 test does require a provider’s order even if with no symptoms exist. The following IU Health Arnett lab locations offer walk-in testing services with an order.

• West Lafayette Medical Office Building at 253 Sagamore Parkway West is open Monday – Friday 7 am – 6 pm, Saturday and Sunday 7 am – 1 pm.
• South side Medical Office Building at 1 Walter Scholer Drive in Lafayette is open Monday – Friday, 7 am – 5 pm, Saturday and Sunday, 7 am – 1 pm.
• North side Medical Office Building at 2600 Greenbush Street in Lafayette is open Monday – Friday, 7 am – 6 pm.
• In Frankfort, IU Health Frankfort Hospital at 1300 S. Jackson Street is open Monday – Friday, 9 am – 3 pm
• In Monticello, IU Health White Memorial Hospital at 720 S. Sixth Street is open Monday – Friday, 9 am – 3 pm

The best way to protect children who cannot get vaccinated is for older siblings and adults to get vaccinated. In addition, wear masks and social distance in a crowd, avoid large gatherings if possible.

Wearing masks will help prevent not only COVID but other respiratory diseases such as influenza. Last year when everyone was wearing masks, only one child died of flu in the United States. The previous year, 200 children died of the flu.

To schedule your vaccination, call 211 or visit ourshot.in.gov. Many sites offer walk-in appointments.