Published: July 14, 2020
LANSING, MI – For the first time, Sparrow is partnering with a local church to provide drive-thru COVID-19 testing for community members.
A nasal swab (or PCR) test will be offered from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 18, at Union Missionary Baptist Church, 500 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Lansing. The test determines whether or not you have an active COVID-19 infection at the time the sample is collected. Results are reviewed at Sparrow Laboratories and are usually available within 48 hours.
COVID-19 has impacted communities of color at a disproportionate rate. In an effort to support and improve the health of the people in the communities we serve, Sparrow and Union Missionary Baptist have come together to ensure our most vulnerable populations have access to care.
No prescription is necessary and no money will be collected onsite. Sparrow will bill those with medical insurance.
“As one of the most visible institutions in the inner city, it is extremely important that Union Baptist Church encourage COVID-19 testing,” said the Rev. Dr. Melvin T. Jones, senior pastor of the church. “With the knowledge that people of color are disproportionately impacted, partnering with Sparrow Hospital to advance testing and contact-tracing will help arrest the progression of the disease.”
Said Lori Adams Simon, Senior Adviser for Diversity and Inclusion at Sparrow: “Sparrow’s mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve, so it was imperative to partner with Union Missionary Baptist Church to provide testing for our most vulnerable populations and community members that may not otherwise have access to healthcare.”
For questions, call 417.364.5076.
Sparrow has been a nationwide leader in COVID-19 testing, becoming one of the first hospitals in Michigan to offer tests for inpatients. It’s part of Sparrow’s mission to improve the health of the people in our communities.
Thousands of patients have received tests at the Sparrow Laboratories Drive-Thru Services site at Frandor, and Sparrow recently added drive-thru sites and staffing outside Sparrow St. Lawrence and the Michigan Athletic Club.
For more information on Sparrow Laboratories and testing sites, go to Sparrow.org/Labs.
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Sparrow, a member of the prestigious Mayo Clinic Care Network, is mid-Michigan’s premier healthcare organization that includes hospitals in Lansing, Charlotte, St. Johns, Ionia and Carson City, as well as Physicians Health Plan, Sparrow Care Network, Sparrow Medical Group and the Michigan Athletic Club. Sparrow is affiliated with Michigan Medicine through the Sparrow Children’s Center and with Michigan State University’s three human health colleges. Through these partnerships and the dedication of our 10,000 Caregivers, Sparrow pursues a vision to be nationally recognized as a leader in quality and Patient experience. For more information, visit Sparrow.org.