COVID-19 Vaccines Are a Game Changer—but the Need for (and Opportunity in) Testing Isn’t Going Away

Vaccines are getting all the headlines these days, but the reality is that COVID-19 testing will continue to be essential to helping the United States recover from the effects of the pandemic for a long time. That means opportunities for urgent care to play an essential role in reducing spread and ensuring early treatment abound. Most recently, the Department of Health and Human Services announced a $12 billion program to expand testing at the community level—with $10 billion slotted specifically to screenings to help schools reopen under the American Rescue Plan. The funds will be doled out at the state level. Urgent care operators would be wise to contact state health officials to make a case for providing those services. The benefit to the community is obvious, but this could also be a golden opportunity to introduce new patients to your services and to illustrate your investment in the health of local families.