(WILMINGTON, Del – MARCH 13, 2019)

Only two days after Delaware experienced its first confirmed case of coronavirus COVID-2019, Delaware’s largest health system held a unique drive-through testing event to protect the community, mitigate the spread of coronavirus and reduce demands on emergency departments.

ChristianaCare performed 536 coronavirus tests today at no cost to people from across the region.

Test results will be available within two to five days.

The drive-through event did not require anyone to make an appointment or have a prescription to undergo testing.

“At ChristianaCare, we are committed to serving our community, guided by our values, love and excellence,” said Janice Nevin, M.D., MPH, president and CEO of ChristianaCare. “We understand that we are in a rapidly evolving situation with the Coronavirus and our community is concerned. I am so proud of our exceptional caregivers, who stepped up to put this event together to meet the needs of both our caregivers and our community. It was a shining example of how we serve together, anticipate the needs of our community, and help with compassion and generosity.”

The tests were conducted from 10 a.m.to 2 p.m. by nurses at ChristianaCare, which has been twice Magnet®-designated for nursing excellence by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Several departments at ChristianaCare – including operations, supply chain, case management, facilities and transportation, pharmacy and laboratory services – partnered with ChristianaCare nursing and infection prevention teams to organize the event. The Riverfront Development Corporation in Wilmington provided the parking lot venue, and the Wilmington Police Department provided logistical support.

The event also was designed as a way to alleviate the pressure on ChristianaCare’s emergency departments, which have been receiving an unusually high number of patients who are mildly ill, but who are not experiencing medical emergencies.

Coronavirus is characterized by mild symptoms including fever, cough and difficulty breathing. Illness can be more severe for some people and can lead to pneumonia or breathing difficulties.

People can avoid the Coronavirus by washing their hands frequently and avoiding close contact. For more information on the Coronavirus, please visit ChristianaCare’s Coronavirus website at https://christianacare.org/coronavirus-covid-19/.

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About ChristianaCare

Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, ChristianaCare is one of the country’s most dynamic health care organizations, centered on improving health outcomes, making high-quality care more accessible and lowering health care costs. ChristianaCare includes an extensive network of primary care and outpatient services, home health care, urgent care centers, three hospitals (1,430 beds), a freestanding emergency department, a Level I trauma center and a Level III neonatal intensive care unit, a comprehensive stroke center and regional centers of excellence in heart and vascular care, cancer care and women’s health. It also includes the pioneering Gene Editing Institute.

ChristianaCare is nationally recognized as a great place to work, rated by Forbes as the 2nd best health system for diversity and inclusion, and the 29th best health system to work for in the United States, and by IDG Computerworld as one of the nation’s Best Places to Work in IT. ChristianaCare is rated by Healthgrades as one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals and continually ranked among the nation’s best by U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek and other national quality ratings. ChristianaCare is a nonprofit teaching health system with more than 260 residents and fellows. With its groundbreaking Center for Virtual Health and a focus on population health and value-based care, ChristianaCare is shaping the future of health care.

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