May 26, 2020   SOURCE: PR NewsWire

AdvantageCare Physicians Partners with City of New York and New York State to Expand COVID-19 Testing

NEW YORK, May 26, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- AdvantageCare Physicians (ACPNY), one of the largest primary and specialty care practices in the New York area, today announced a partnership with the City of New York to increase access and availability for COVID-19 testing. This follows a similar partnership announcement on Saturday, May 23(rd) between ACPNY and the State of New York by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to expand testing.

New York State and the City of New York's partnerships with AdvantageCare Physicians will establish more than 20 new testing sites at medical offices downstate, including testing centers in low-income and minority communities. Currently, New York has more than 760 testing sites across the state, according to the governor's office.

During his press conference announcing the partnership, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said, "We have a new partnership to announce today,...AdvantageCare Physicians is stepping up, joining the fight and we are so thankful to them...Thank you to everyone at AdvantageCare, this is another great step forward making testing easier, making it more available and free."

Through these partnerships, ACPNY will be able to open additional community testing sites, helping expand the City's overall testing reach into hard-hit neighborhoods. ACPNY testing locations will be supplied with necessary personal protective equipment (PPE), testing kits, and increased lab capacity to accelerate testing and keep clinicians and patients safe.

"ACPNY has a unique presence in New York City neighborhoods, especially in underserved and low-income communities, communities of color, and communities where our frontline, essential workers both live and work," said Dr. Navarra Rodriguez, President and Chief Medical Officer at ACPNY. "From early on, we have been addressing COVID-19 treatment and testing disparities while combatting the chronic illnesses that put patients at even greater risk. We are confident these partnerships will lead to even more testing sites across New York, providing the proper care and peace of mind we desperately need. We applaud Mayor de Blasio and Governor Cuomo for their leadership during this crisis, and for acknowledging the critical need to expand testing capacity in our communities."

As a member of the EmblemHealth family of companies, ACPNY maintains multiple locations throughout New York's designated COVID-19 "hot spots," including New York City communities hardest hit by the pandemic. More than 50 percent of the nearly half a million patients served by ACPNY are black or Latino--groups that have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19--and more than 70,000 are insured by Medicaid.

"ACPNY has always met people where they are," added Dr. Rodriguez. "Our medical teams and staff both work and live in the communities we serve and are invested in their wellbeing. We have always been a trusted resource for hardworking New Yorkers, and we will be there for them long after this crisis is over."

For the safety of patients, testing sites will not be available for walk-in appointments. Those seeking COVID-19 tests will first need to receive direction from a physician--either through a telehealth appointment or phone call--and then schedule for in-person testing within 24 to 48 hours. Following a virtual visit, diagnostic tests (swab or point of care) and serology--to be determined by a clinical screening--will be offered at these ACPNY locations. Regardless of insurance coverage, there is no out-of-pocket cost to patients for the test, and it's also free for any uninsured New Yorker.

In partnership with the City of New York, ACPNY will be working to increase community testing at additional ACPNY locations over the coming weeks. Testing sites will include medical offices operated by BronxDocs, an affiliate of ACPNY.

ACPNY TESTING LOCATIONS OPEN MAY 26, 2020 INCLUDE:

    --  Harlem: 215 West 125th St., New York, NY 10027
    --  Upper East Side: 215 East 95th St., New York, NY 10128
    --  East New York: 101 Pennsylvania Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11207
    --  Flatbush: 1000 Church Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11218
    --  Bay Ridge: 740 64th St., Brooklyn, NY 11220
    --  Bedford Williamsburg: 233 Nostrand Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11205
    --  Rockaway: 29-15 Far Rockaway Blvd., Far Rockaway, NY 11691
    --  Forest Hills: 96-10 Metropolitan Ave., Flushing, NY 11375
    --  Clove Road: 1050 Clove Road, Staten Island, NY 10301
    --  Richmond Avenue at the Mall: 2654 Richmond Ave., Staten Island, NY 10314
    --  Babylon: 300 Bay Shore Rd., North Babylon, NY 11703
    --  Hicksville: 350 South Broadway, Staten Island, NY 10310

ACPNY TESTING LOCATIONS OPEN JUNE 1, 2020 INCLUDE:

    --  Washington Heights: 4337 Broadway, New York, NY 10033
    --  Kings Highway: 3245 Nostrand Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11229
    --  Flushing North: 140-15 Sanford Ave., Flushing, NY 11355
    --  Jamaica Estates: 180-05 Hillside Ave., Jamaica, NY 11432
    --  Richmond Hill: 125-06 101st Ave., Jamaica, NY 11419
    --  BronxDocs: 932 Southern Boulevard, The Bronx, NY 10459

ACPNY TESTING LOCATIONS OPEN JUNE 8, 2020 INCLUDE:

    --  Duane Street: 52 Duane St., New York, NY 10007
    --  Crown Heights: 546 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11225
    --  Cambria Heights: 206-20 Linden Blvd., Cambria Heights, NY 11411
    --  Elmhurst: 86-15 Queens Blvd., Queens, NY 11373

TESTING SITE INFORMATION: 

    --  Testing sites will be open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
        EST.
    --  Diagnostic testing is for individuals who meet CDC and state and local
        guidelines on who should be tested, including first responders, health
        care workers, those with symptoms of COVID-19, and those who are
        asymptomatic but may require testing. While patients who are tested are
        awaiting results, they should follow CDC guidelines and take steps to
        help prevent the virus from spreading to people in their home and
        communities.
    --  Expected turnaround for ACPNY to process tests is two to three days. The
        ACPNY provider will receive the results and communicate them to the
        patient.
    --  For questions regarding testing and appointments, please call ACPNY's
        dedicated COVID-19 screening and testing hotline at (866) 749-2660. For
        testing and appointments at BronxDocs locations, please call (646)
        680-5200.

AdvantageCare Physicians' COVID-19 Relief Efforts
With more than 400 doctors and providers--many of whom speak multiple languages, including Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, Russian, and French Creole--ACPNY is committed to supporting communities impacted by COVID-19 with relief efforts that fill financial and supply chain gaps where it matters most. To date, ACPNY clinics have been working alongside hospitals and NYC testing centers to screen and test people for COVID-19, while maintaining services that provide the critical chronic care management that non-COVID-19 patients continue to need. Several of ACPNY's medical offices are co-located with EmblemHealth Neighborhood Care, which provides referrals to community-based resources and offers free health and wellness programs, including diabetes management and support groups.

ACPNY recently announced a partnership with Medly Pharmacy to provide courier delivery of prescription medications to patients. In addition, virtual appointments are available for patients who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, as well as for regular primary and specialty care visits. For more on ACPNY's ongoing COVID-19 relief efforts and additional health and safety measures, please visit https://www.acpny.com/live-well/coronavirus.

About ACPNY
AdvantageCare Physicians, one of the largest primary and specialty care practices in the New York area, provides quality, personalized care that is focused on the whole patient. With medical offices across the five boroughs and Long Island, AdvantageCare Physicians takes a team-based approach to care where physicians work with nurses, social workers, nutritionists, behavioral health specialists and other professionals. Visit www.acpny.com to learn more.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/advantagecare-physicians-partners-with-city-of-new-york-and-new-york-state-to-expand-covid-19-testing-301065267.html

SOURCE AdvantageCare Physicians