Teche Action Clinic, Louisiana Department of Public Health, and Louisiana Healthcare Connections Partner to Provide COVID-19 Screenings in Morgan City

MORGAN CITY, La., Dec. 7, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Teche Action Clinic, the Louisiana Department of Public Health, and Louisiana Healthcare Connections are offering COVID-19 screenings at no cost to patients in Morgan City. Testing will inform a national research study to understand the impact of COVID-19 on racial minorities and underserved communities.

Current Patients of Teche Action Clinic
Current patients of Teche Action Clinic can call a patient navigator at 337-828-2550 ext. 2183 to schedule an appointment to receive a COVID-19 PCR test (to confirm current COVID-19 infection) and antibody testing (to confirm previous COVID-19 infection) at no cost. Testing is available Monday – Thursday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the following locations: 

Teche Action Clinic
1115 Weber Street
Franklin, LA 70380

Teche Action Clinic
1124 7^th Street
Morgan City, LA 70380

Community Testing Initiative
Residents who are not current patients of Teche Action Clinic can also participate in the study and receive a COVID-19 PCR test and antibody test at no cost. The Community Testing Initiative will run December 7^th through December 11^th Monday – Thursday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the following location: 

Ochsner St. Mary
1125 Marguerite St.
Morgan City, La 70380

Those who test positive for COVID-19 will be contacted by a medical provider from their test site. They will also receive monitoring kits and a daily call from a study nurse for the first 14 days to provide medical advice and help monitor any progression of symptoms. Participants will also receive once-per-week follow up calls for one month and check-ins over the course of the five-year study.

As of Dec. 3, more than 550 participants have joined the study. To participate in the study, you must be 18 years or older. Testing will continue until 1,000 individuals have volunteered to participate in the study.

The testing initiative is part of a broader research study by Louisiana Healthcare Connections' parent company Centene, a leading multi-national healthcare enterprise, and the National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF), an independent research and educational organization dedicated to ensuring high-risk racial and ethnic populations receive optimal healthcare. Together, the organizations will analyze testing data to assess the impact of COVID-19 on minorities and underserved populations in Louisiana and across the country.

Once testing is complete, Centene and NMQF will convene a team of researchers to analyze and translate survey data, and, based on the findings, provide valuable data and evidence-based solutions to inform the public health response and help reduce healthcare disparities among underserved populations.

About Teche Action Clinic
Teche Action Clinic is a Federally Qualified Health Center based in Franklin, Louisiana. The Center serves residents throughout rural southwest Louisiana, regardless of their ability to pay for services. Teche Action Clinic's scope of services includes primary and preventive medical care (internal medicine, family practice, pediatrics, obstetrics/gynecology), behavioral health, pharmacy, laboratory, WIC and dental services).

About the Louisiana Department of Health
The Louisiana Department of Health strives to protect and promote health statewide and to ensure access to medical, preventive and rehabilitative services for all state residents. The Louisiana Department of Health includes the Office of Public Health, Office of Aging & Adult Services, Office of Behavioral Health, Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities, and Healthy Louisiana (Medicaid). To learn more, visit www.ldh.la.gov or follow us on Twitter, Facebook or our blog.

About Louisiana Healthcare Connections
Established to deliver quality healthcare through local, regional and community-based partners, Louisiana Healthcare Connections is a Healthy Louisiana plan headquartered in Baton Rouge, La. Louisiana Healthcare Connections exists to improve the health of its members through focused, compassionate and coordinated care. Because Louisiana Healthcare Connections believes healthy is a way of life, its members benefit from programs and services designed for their personal well-being. For more information, visit www.louisianahealthconnect.com.

SOURCE Teche Action Clinic