The funding will allow Clinica Santa Maria, a community benefit ministry of Mercy Health Saint Mary's, to provide education on prevention and treatment of COVID-19. 

Kent County residents of Hispanic or Latino descent account for about 10 percent of the county's population, according to Census.gov, yet account for nearly 40 percent of all confirmed COVID-19 cases in the county (www.accesskent.com). 

The program will align with The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) requirements for use of federal dollars in caring for underserved populations who may forego testing and treatment due to cost. 

A drive-through site is located at Clinica Santa Maria, 730 Grandville Avenue SW, and is open to the public, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. The testing site is overseen by a physician, with medical assistants administering the tests and providing patient follow up. 

Patients may call their doctor to be screened for COVID-19 testing. Non-Mercy Health patients may call ahead at 616.685.8439 or drop in for same-day testing via drive-through or walk-up. 

Testing services at the clinic began on June 8, and the site will also educate patients on things like hand hygiene, cough etiquette, and COVID-19 transmission. 

Clinica Santa Maria will also enhance collaborative efforts with the Kent County Health Department for contract tracing. 

Each patient who accesses the testing site will receive information packets and tools to help assess COVID-19 symptom, while supplies last: 

If a patient tests positive for COVID-19, a Mercy Health Community Health Worker will deliver the following items, while supplies last, as well as assess needs for food, including providing delivery from local food banks: 

• Pulse-Oximeter (with instructions) 

• Patient Education on when to go to the hospital, when to call the doctor, when to stop isolation or return to work 

• Pregnant patients will receive a Doppler + Gel so that expectant moms can monitor their baby's heartbeat from home and reduce worries about baby's health. 

• Patients with hypertension will receive a blood pressure cuff to monitor blood pressure at home.

"We know that testing for COVID-19 and proper safety precautions can help greatly in stopping the spread of the virus," said Liberty Jacques, DNP, RN, ACNS-BC, CIC, director of Infection Prevention & Control and Professional Practice & Development, Mercy Health Saint Mary’s. "We are glad we are able to provide this care for our patients in the Roosevelt Park neighborhood and surrounding community." 

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About Mercy Health and Mercy Health Physician Partners 

Mercy Health is a regional, multi-campus, Catholic health care system serving West Michigan and the lakeshore with four hospital campuses, more than 90 physician offices, more than 1,300 medical staff physicians, more than 700 hospital beds and more than 9,000 colleagues, and hospice, home health and long-term care service offerings. Mercy Health Physician Partners, our multi-specialty medical group, employs more than 700 physicians and advanced practice professionals in Grand Rapids, Muskegon, Holland and the lakeshore. Mercy Health has annual operating revenues of about $1.4 billion and returns about $80 million to its communities annually through charity care and community benefit programs. Mercy Health, a member of Trinity Health, is committed to being a trusted health partner for life, transforming the communities we serve, by providing high-quality care that is the most accessible, compassionate and personalized in West Michigan. Visit us at MercyHealth.com.