Greater Family Health continues to expand services in order to meet the needs of area residents. Recently, Greater Family Health launched Virtual Visits, otherwise known as telemedicine, at all of its 9 Health Centers, to facilitate the provision of essential health care services during the COVID-19 pandemic while the patient remains in the comfort of their home.
A new service expansion which will greatly benefit the communities Greater Family Health serves is the opening of 3 COVID-19 testing sites on Tuesday, April 21st, 2020. As part of a coordinated effort with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Greater Family Health is making COVID-19 nasal swab testing available to high-risk and symptomatic Illinoisans. COVID-19 testing will be available for existing healthcare workers, as well as Greater Family Health patients and non-patients of Greater Family Health who meet the high-risk criteria as defined by IDPH.
Testing will be available at Greater Family Health, 450 Dundee Avenue in Elgin, Greater Family Health, 3901 Mercy Drive in McHenry, and at Greater Family Health, 165 E. Plank Road in Sycamore.
Each of the 3 testing sites will be open for COVID-19 swab testing from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday. Tests are available by appointment only; walk-ins will not be accepted for COVID-19 testing.
High-risk individuals with symptoms can call Greater Family Health at 844-599-3700 to verify if they are eligible for testing and to schedule a COVID-19 nasal swab testing appointment at 1 of the 3 Health Centers. A team of Greater Family Health practitioners is already triaging patient calls related to COVID-19 and will inform patients if they meet IDPH’s guidelines for COVID-19 testing during their call.
The type of COVID-19 test available at these 3 Greater Family Health Health Centers is a Nasopharyngeal (NP) swab test by LabCorp. Greater Family Health plans to expand to additional testing modalities when they become available. Patients can expect a result of the NP swab test within 2-4 days.
Greater Family Health’s standard payment and billing processes apply to COVID-19 testing. Greater Family Health accepts many insurances, including all Medicaid Managed Care Plans in Illinois. For uninsured patients, the cost of the COVID-19 test is included in the office fee for the medical visit and is subject to Greater Family Health’s Sliding Fee Discount Program, as applicable. Regarding Greater Family Health’s standard Sliding Fee Scale, click here for more information. For insured patients, Greater Family Health will bill your insurance carrier for the cost of the medical visit; the cost of the COVID-19 test will be billed to your insurance carrier by LabCorp.
Greater Family Health remains committed to the health and safety of its staff, patients and communities it serves. The provision of COVID-19 testing and Virtual Visits are just two examples of the many important oral health, behavioral health and primary health care services Greater Family Health provides.
Greater Family Health is the area’s premier Federally Qualified Health Center, providing the full range of quality, affordably priced, fully integrated primary care services to over 53,500 area residents by more than 175,000 medical, behavioral health and dental appointments annually.
Operating 9 Community Health Centers in 5 northeastern Illinois counties, the organization is accredited by The Joint Commission, Primary Care Medical Home certified, repeatedly nationally recognized for both its health outcomes and cost efficiency, and provides care regardless of the patient’s ability to pay.
