PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — As of June 30, Northern Light A.R. Gould Hospital has closed its COVID-19 “swab and go” testing site, located in the front of the hospital campus. Testing will instead be offered at the hospital’s primary care, walk-in care and lab locations.
“It is thanks to the great vaccination efforts throughout the state and in Aroostook County that we are able to take this step,” said Greg LaFrancois, hospital president.
“The hard work taken on by healthcare providers and pharmacies to provide vaccines, along with the willingness of so many to step up and get vaccinated, have led to decreased need for testing. We are now in a position to be able to offer testing at our clinic sites rather than having to maintain one stand-alone location,” LaFrancois said.
COVID-19 testing will now be available at: Northern Light Primary Care, Pediatrics and Walk-In Care, 23 North St. in Presque Isle and 118 Bennett Dr. in Caribou; the primary care offices at 23 High St. in Fort Fairfield and 106 Main St. in Mars Hill; the Northern Light Women’s Health Center, 140 Academy St, Presque Isle, and at the Presque Isle lab locations at 23 North St. and at A.R. Gould Hospital.
Those who are patients of one of Northern Light Health’s local primary care or pediatrics offices can simply call their provider’s office to schedule a time to come in and be tested. Individuals who do not have a designated provider or are not a Northern Light patient are encouraged to use local pharmacies or the hospital’s Walk-In Care clinics in Presque Isle or Caribou.
Patients who need a test prior to a hospital procedure will be provided lab orders and asked to go to the lab on North Street or at the hospital during a specific time frame to be tested. No appointment will be necessary; however, they will need to follow the directions for when the test is needed in relation to their upcoming procedure.
“We have learned a lot about COVID-19 over the past 16 months. We know that appropriate safety measures, like masking, in the healthcare setting mean COVID-19 testing can be done safely in the clinic setting,”said LaFrancois.
All COVID-19 testing locations, swab-and-go transition dates, and additional information can be found NorthernLightHealth.org.
