Atlas Senior Living to Begin COVID-19 Testing
March 25, 2020
BIRMINGHAM, AL–Atlas Senior Living and Assurance Scientific Laboratories (Assurance Labs) are partnering together for all Atlas communities to receive coronavirus (COVID-19) test kits.
Assurance Labs was one of the first labs in the country approved by the FDA for COVID-19 (Coronavirus) testing.
Senior Living News spoke with Scott Goldberg, President and CEO of Atlas, who confirmed COVID-19 tests were shipped March 20 to all its communities in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
“Kudos to Assurance Labs because they started early on this,” said Goldberg. “We send the completed samples to Assurance for them to properly process.”
The CDC has developed a form that provides a standardized approach to reporting COVID-19 cases—individuals with at least one respiratory specimen that tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19.
Goldberg said doctors would sign off on lab screenings as they would for any other lab tests. Assurance Labs would notify each state’s department of health of any positive or presumptive positive results, and they are to test so they can be confirmed.
With Atlas’s capability of testing inside their communities, new admissions, residents, and employees can be tested on-site if necessary and avoid high-risk environments such as hospitals. For seniors, particularly, there is a huge advantage to stay inside of the community to be tested.
In addition, Atlas will be able to accept new residents on the condition that they are tested and receive a negative result for COVID-19.
“During this time when all of America is experiencing the effects of this virus, our partnership with Assurance Labs is vital to us as a senior living company,” said Goldberg. “We are able to maintain the health of our residents and associates and keep them in a low-risk, contained environment, and we are grateful for that capability with Assurance Labs.”
“It is a priority that this vulnerable population has access to appropriate testing to ensure their safety,” said Chad Austin M.D., owner of Assurance Labs. “We are proud to partner with Atlas and appreciate their diligence in providing optimal care during these unprecedented times.”
New procedures and policies will be implemented in the coming days within Atlas’ organization.
Birmingham-based Atlas Senior Living owns and/or operates 24 retirement communities in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Tennessee, offering independent living, assisted living and memory care services.
Assurance Scientific Laboratories is a highly complex R&B reference lab that develops and provides rapid diagnostic services, with specializations in molecular and microbiologic technologies. Assurance Labs continues to serve medical practices, hospitals and health systems throughout the state and across the country to run COVID-19 tests for their patients and staff. Assurance is continuing to partner with Church of the Highlands and Christ Health Center to offer drive-through testing for individuals within Alabama.