CHI St. Joseph Health recently received a grant from the Texas Department of State Health Services to support increased COVID-19 testing for the local community.
The $8.6 million grant allows St. Joseph Health to hire additional laboratory staff and purchase equipment specifically for COVID-19 and flu testing. This new equipment is currently the most accurate testing method available for COVID-19.
“We’re thankful to continue to be in a position to support our community during this pandemic and are grateful for the many community partnerships that allow us to do that. This project, in particular, was made possible through the collaboration of our partnerships with Texas A&M Health Science Center and the Texas Department of State Health Services,” says Theron Park, president and CEO of St. Joseph Health. “Through community relationships and innovative thinking such as this project, we are even more prepared to care for those in our community as we move into the winter months and flu season.”
This equipment allows St. Joseph Health to increase daily testing capacity to up to 3,000 tests per day, should need in the community arise. This new equipment also allows the St. Joseph Health laboratory services team to respond with test results much more quickly — in 24 to 48 hours — rather than the 3–5 days it has taken in the past.
With this potential increase in testing, St. Joseph Health is also looking to hire up to 30 medical technologists and non-technical staff to support the efforts to serve the COVID-19 testing needs. Medical technologists will perform COVID-19 testing, as well as other laboratory tests, in a clinical setting. Non-technical staff accession samples into electronic medical records system, sort samples, and prepare samples for testing. Interested applicants are asked to visit careerscommonspirit.icims.com/jobs/.
St. Joseph Health continues to look for opportunities to support residents of the Brazos Valley during the COVID-19 pandemic and the approaching flu season. This new equipment and additional staff are an example of the investment that CHI St. Joseph Health is making towards that effort.
By CHI St. Joseph Health
