Limited COVID-19 testing tied to funding, resources

Capital Region Medical Center does require a physician's order to be tested for COVID-19 at its off-site testing facility on Madison Street.
Capital Region Medical Center does require a physician's order to be tested for COVID-19 at its off-site testing facility on Madison Street.

The News Tribune is offering this article free to all readers because it includes information important to public safety and health in our community.

Six months into the COVID-19 pandemic, the availability of COVID-19 testing in Cole County is limited somewhat due to funding and resources.

Cole County Health Department Director Kristi Campbell points to a lack of testing supplies.

"The hospital system in Cole County is reserving those tests for individuals that meet the symptom criteria for COVID-19 and those who will be having elective surgery at their facilities," Campbell said.

Jefferson City's two hospitals are the only sites performing regular testing in the city.

Both hospitals are unable to provide exact figures around their testing capacity. So far, St. Mary's Hospital has tested 6,673 people for COVID-19, with 431 positive tests and nine pending; Capital Region Medical Center has tested 9,034, with 459 positive.

A test at CRMC costs $182 and at St. Mary's costs $100. Test results usually take 24-48 hours at both hospitals.

Last week, St. Mary's Hospital officials confirmed the facility's drive-thru COVID-19 testing site no longer collects samples from patients who aren't showing COVID-19 symptoms. The change came about because the laboratory the hospital uses has limited testing capacity.

It is still a requirement that people have a physician's order for testing. The hospital is providing COVID-19 testing only for people who are symptomatic or patients who have an upcoming procedure scheduled.

The change has meant some people in Jefferson City must go to Capital Region Medical Center for testing, which also provides tests with a physician's order and for patients prior to procedures.

Limited testing resources plays a part in the increased positivity rate within the county, Campbell said.

"Because testing is limited, most of the people who are getting tested are symptomatic, and therefore, our positivity rate will increase," she said. "(The hospitals) are testing less asymptomatic people and concentrating on those with symptoms."

Cole County's COVID-19 positivity rate among residents tested was 3.69 percent in July, up from 0.95 percent in June.

Campbell said that number is "still not concerning given what we are seeing statewide with the rise in cases and decrease in testing availability."

At the end of last month, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Director Dr. Randall Williams told reporters the state had de-emphasized free community COVID-19 testing and encouraged counties to spend their federal stimulus dollars on such events.

The state had conducted community testing in more than 50 counties, Williams said. He noted the state may launch widespread testing in certain communities if there are virus clusters.

While the events were "helpful" and gave people confidence, Williams said, state health officials initially launched the effort - in partnership with Missouri National Guard, local health departments and health care providers - as the state was assessing the situation at the start of its "recovery" phase.

DHSS officials said areas such as Kansas City and St. Louis have already been coordinating for several weeks to do community testing events in their respective areas with CARES Act funding.

At a three-day free community testing event in Jefferson City last month, more than 1,800 tests were done.

"Some of the issues we would face with a testing event is the availability of supplies and cost of staffing and testing," Campbell said. "Our department along with St. Mary's, Capital Region Medical Center, JCMG and the Community Health Center of Central Missouri have been meeting again to brainstorm ideas for an integrated testing site. If a plan is finalized, the group will need to apply for CARES funding in order to expand testing capacity."

In June, Cole County officials shelved plans to create a single COVID-19 testing site for the county.

The parties involved believed one testing site would reduce costs for staffing and personal protective equipment. The issue that kept the site from being started was who would bear the brunt of the cost of operating the site.

At that time, Campbell indicated the costs for staffing, personal protective equipment and manning the site were estimated at than $212,000 through the end of the year.

Campbell said the county Health Department would defer to the hospitals to determine if testing needs to increase.

"The doctors are evaluating the patients to determine if testing is warranted, and the hospitals would know what their capacity and demand for testing would be," Campbell added. "CCHD might make recommendations to increase testing if we are hearing from close contacts that testing is not available."

Mike Baumgartner, regional president for SSM Health in Mid-Missouri, which operates St. Mary's Hospital, added: "We believe that testing is key to tracking and preventing virus spread; however, testing capacity is limited in many areas around the country. Consequently, we are working with other providers in the community to look for ways to make testing more readily available. Our commitment is to promoting and preserving health in our community, so of course this work is very important to us."

Some alternative testing options have been offered throughout Mid-Missouri over the past months of the pandemic.

Last month, the Moniteau County Health Center in California hosted a free community testing event in conjunction with St. Mary's when cases started to jump there.

Central Ozarks Medical Center offers weekly testing in the Lake of the Ozarks area without a physician's order.

If you have questions about getting tested for COVID-19, the Cole County Health Department recommends you contact your health care provider, particularly if you believe you have symptoms of COVID-19, which may include fever, chills, cough, sore throat and fatigue. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services offers a 24-hour COVID-19 hotline at 877-435-8411 for more information about getting tested.