Rural counties receive much needed supplies from Dogwood Health Trust
POLK COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — Expanded COVID-19 testing will become available Thursday as Polk County's first drive-through site opens.
"We received a donation of test kits from Dogwood Health Trust, so we’re using these test kits for folks who are coming through and who are experiencing typical or atypical symptoms," Polk County Public Health Director Josh Kennedy said.
Kennedy said that for the past month only individual testing's been done on an "as needed" basis.
Without the help from Dogwood Health Trust, the community fund created out of HCA’s purchase of Mission Health, testing like this probably would have not been possible in Polk County right now.
"They’ve also given us some measures like screening tools for our online website," Kennedy said. "So, they’ve been partnering with us and in constant communication since the beginning of the pandemic."
On Wednesday, the county announced that staff members tested positive at a long-term care facility in Tryon. According to Kennedy, those staff members who tested positive were placed into quarantine and were not symptomatic while present at the facility.
That alone gives even more of a reason for the need for a drive-through testing site.
"We’ll be doing this weekly, on the same day of the week, same time," Kennedy added.
Over in Graham County, the director of social services, Cris Weatherford, said they also rely on Dogwood for necessary supplies.
"Literally, we were all scrambling throughout the county trying to find these supplies," Weatherford said. "We’ve been able to receive several gallons of hand sanitizer from them."
Weatherford said the county has also received masks and gloves from other agencies.
"They’ve really been cranking it out for a lot of people, and we’re really appreciative of that," he added.
Back in Polk, the feeling's mutual and now anticipation awaits as more testing begins Thursday.
"As long as the weather's fine, we plan to hold this once a week while supplies last," Kennedy said.
The plan is for the site to be open 1-4 p.m. You need to make an appointment before showing up to get tested. To make an appointment in Polk County, please call 828-722-5086.
In a statement, Dogwood Health Trust CEO Antony Chiang wrote this:
Dogwood has been working for weeks to source test kits for our rural health department partners who are committed to testing and tracing efforts as a means to stop the spread of the coronavirus. In Cherokee, Clay and Haywood counties, we're seeing these efforts pay off by keeping numbers low and managing outbreaks before they have a chance to grow. It is our sincere hope that others can use this approach of aggressive testing and tracing as a model to stop spread when an early case presents."