Ibn Sina Foundation and CVS Health Launch COVID-19 Testing

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Jun 09, 2020, 08:30 ET

HOUSTON, June 9, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ibn Sina Foundation today announced it has launched rapid COVID-19 testing, together with CVS Health, at its Ibn Sina Wilcrest Community Clinic location. Licensed health care providers from MinuteClinic, the retail medical clinic of CVS Health, and CVS Pharmacy colleagues will staff the testing operation.

"The Ibn Sina Foundation has been serving the uninsured community for nearly two decades, providing preventive and primary medical, dental, diagnostic and specialty care services through seven community clinics across Greater Houston and Port Arthur areas," said Mr. Nasruddin Rupani, Chairman of the Ibn Sina Foundation. "Today we are pleased to work with CVS Health, in these trying times, to provide free COVID-19 testing services to meet the needs of our patients and community members."

Testing at Ibn Sina Wilcrest Community Clinic, located at 11226 S. Wilcrest Drive in Houston, will be open to the public by appointment at no cost. Patients will need to pre-register in advance by calling 281-495-7462 to schedule a same-day time slot for testing. A personal vehicle is not required for testing and results will be provided on-the-spot. To be eligible for testing, patients will need to meet criteria established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in addition to age guidelines.

"Working with partners like Ibn Sina Foundation is an important part of our comprehensive strategy to increase access to COVID-19 testing," said Dr. Garth Graham, Vice President, Community Health and Impact, CVS Health. "This joint effort allows us to tap into the network of a trusted organization with strong community ties to further expand testing in areas of greatest need."

The CVS Health Foundation, a charitable entity associated with CVS Health, has a longstanding relationship with the National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics, providing more than $9 million over the last six years to help clinics nationwide, like the Ibn Sina Foundation, to increase access to care for underserved populations.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted vulnerable communities, with persons of color contracting and dying from the virus at alarmingly high rates across the United States. I have consistently stressed the importance of targeted testing and contact tracing in our nation's most vulnerable communities to stop this phenomena and ultimately aid in the defeat of coronavirus," Congressman Al Green (TX-09) stated. "This is why I applaud CVS Health and Ibn Sina Foundation in my congressional district for providing free coronavirus testing to some of our nation's most diverse communities. This community clinic will eliminate one barrier to ending the pandemic that far too many people face: access. By locating the clinic in a vulnerable community, we make testing more accessible physically to those who need it most. By offering no-cost coronavirus testing, we make it more accessible financially for uninsured, underinsured, and undocumented individuals."

Ibn Sina Foundation was established in 2001 by a group of business and healthcare professionals. The Foundation's mission is to ensure the health of the community by providing integrated, preventive and primary care in a clinical setting through the dissemination and application of health-related knowledge, thereby enhancing the quality of life of people.

In addition to offering testing together with several community partners across the country, CVS Health is offering drive-thru testing at 1,000 CVS Pharmacy locations nationwide. More than half of these CVS Pharmacy test sites serve communities with the greatest need for support, as measured by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Social Vulnerability Index. Since first offering COVID-19 testing at a pilot site in mid-March, the company has performed nearly 200,000 tests nationwide. Beginning in June, CVS Health has a goal of processing up to 1.5 million tests per month subject to availability of supplies and lab capacity.

About CVS Health
CVS Health employees are united around a common goal of becoming the most consumer-centric health company in the world. We're evolving based on changing consumer needs and meeting people where they are, whether that's in the community at one of our nearly 10,000 local touchpoints, in the home, or in the palm of their hand. Our newest offerings – from HealthHUB^® locations that are redefining what a pharmacy can be, to innovative programs that help manage chronic conditions – are designed to create a higher-quality, simpler and more affordable experience. Learn more about how we're transforming health at https://www.cvshealth.com.

Media Contact:
Monica Prinzing, CVS Health
[email protected]
(831) 241-8294

SOURCE CVS Health