MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — June 8, 2020 — The El Camino Healthcare District Board of Directors approved $2.4 million in funding to make COVID-19 testing available to all community members who live, work or go to school within the district. Testing is available by appointment at El Camino Health’s Mountain View campus. There is no cost to those being tested and tests are for individuals who do not have symptoms (asymptomatic) of COVID-19.
“We are pleased to be able to do our part in funding testing efforts within our district,” said Gary Kalbach, El Camino Healthcare District board chair. “The Board is united in supporting this pressing healthcare need and making tests more widely available.”
It is the El Camino Healthcare District Board’s goal to test as many people within the district* as possible to support the Santa Clara County public health initiative to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. El Camino Health’s lab utilizes a short, half-inch swab to obtain nasal samples needed for the COVID-19 tests.
“As a community hospital, we’re making every effort to eliminate any barriers for our community in getting a test,” said Dan Woods, chief executive officer of El Camino Health. “We are pleased to be able to support the district’s COVID-19 testing initiative by serving as a testing site.”
In an effort to ensure the district’s funds are utilized to greatest public benefit, for uninsured individuals, the district will fund the entire cost of the COVID-19 test, which means the test is provided free of charge. For patients with existing insurance coverage, billing for the test will be submitted to health plans with the district funding any difference in test cost. This means there is no out-of-pocket cost to the insured patient to be tested.
To schedule a test at El Camino Health’s Mountain View campus, call 650-940-7022 and select option "4". Testing will be limited to 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays only (except Holidays). Check the El Camino Health website for locations updates.
*The District's cities include most of Mountain View, Los Altos and Los Altos Hills; a large portion of Sunnyvale, and small sections of Cupertino, Santa Clara and Palo Alto.
The El Camino Hospital District was established by voter approval in 1956 in accordance with California Local Hospital District Law. The purpose of the District is to establish, maintain and operate or provide assistance in the operation of health facilities and other health care services provider, groups and organizations that are necessary for the maintenance of good physical and mental health in the communities served by the District. The District, now known as El Camino Healthcare District, encompasses most of Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills; a large portion of Sunnyvale, and small sections of Cupertino, Santa Clara, and Palo Alto. The publicly elected El Camino Healthcare District Board of Directors approves tax dollar expenditures, including expenditures for the award winning Community Benefit program. Community Benefit funds are granted each year to local nonprofits, schools and government programs that provide critical health services to the underserved. All District Board meetings are publically noticed, open to the public, and available for viewing on the District website.
El Camino Health provides a personalized healthcare experience at two non-profit acute care hospitals in Los Gatos and Mountain View and at many primary care, multi-specialty care, and urgent care locations across Santa Clara County. For nearly sixty years, the organization has grown to meet the care needs of individuals in the communities it serves. Bringing the best together in new technology and advanced medicine, the network of nationally recognized physicians and care teams deliver high-quality, compassionate care. Key medical specialties include heart and vascular, cancer and lifestyle medicine. The hospitals have earned numerous awards for excellent clinical quality, such as a 5-Star Overall Hospital Quality Rating from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and nursing care, including three consecutive American Nurses Credentialing Center Magnet Recognitions for Nursing Care.
Visit www.elcaminohealth.org to learn more.