FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 13, 2020

Saratoga Hospital Establishes Separate Site for Safe Collection 
of Specimens from Patients Referred for COVID-19 Testing

COVID-19 tests must be ordered by a licensed healthcare provider or by the New York State or Saratoga County health departments for this site. There is no walk-in specimen collection.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y., March 13, 2020—Saratoga Hospital has established a separate lab specimen collection site for approved COVID-19 testing of patients. 

The temporary biocontainment facility is the safest way to provide this service to the community. 

The collection location and process help reduce the potential spread of COVID-19 by separating patients who have been referred for specimen collection from those coming to Saratoga Hospital for medical care or routine testing. Specimens are sent to an approved testing lab for processing.

The location is a tent outside the ambulance entrance to the Alfred Z. Solomon Emergency Center on Myrtle Street. Patients must be referred for COVID-19 specimen collection at this site either by a licensed healthcare provider or by the New York State or Saratoga County health departments. There is no walk-in service.

Patient parking for approved specimen collection is in a lot adjacent to the tent. The site is designed to meet New York State Department of Health and federal Centers for Disease Control guidance.

Patients who believe that they have novel coronavirus symptoms, or that they might have been in contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19, should call their provider or county health department before going to any healthcare location. After describing their symptoms, patients will receive guidance about whether and where to go for testing.

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About Saratoga Hospital: Saratoga Hospital is the Saratoga region’s leading healthcare provider and the only acute-care facility in Saratoga County. The hospital’s multispecialty practice, Saratoga Hospital Medical Group, provides care at more than 20 locations, ensuring easy access to programs and services that can have the greatest impact on individual and community health. Saratoga Hospital has maintained Magnet designation for nursing excellence since 2004. Through its affiliation with Albany Med and Columbia Memorial Health, Saratoga Hospital is part of the largest locally governed health system in the region. For more information: www.saratogahospital.org or www.facebook.com/SaratogaHospital.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Peter Hopper
Director, Marketing and Communications
518.583.8679
phopper@saratogahospital.org