This article was originally written by Don Day with BoiseDev.
St. Luke’s Health System says it is working to adjust to the COVID-19 pandemic as conditions on the ground adjust and change.
Beth Toal, VP of communications for the large local health system said the number of folks seeking testing for the novel coronavirus is on the rise, and officials are working to meet the need.
At some clinic locations, patients are being triaged before they leave their vehicles.
“Patients are doing a really good job of listening to guidance and calling ahead,” she said. “At some locations, we will do a screening while they are in their car, give them a mask and then bring them safely into the clinic.”
Toal said they are working to implement ideas, and things could adjust as the week goes on.
“There are good ideas. When it comes to actually implementing them – identifying good ideas is the easy part – the hard part is implementing it,” she said. “Whether it is drive-up testing, testing tents or other ideas, we are looking at different options.”
Toal said a number of different local medical providers are communicating so they can offer services in a coordinated manner.
“We don’t want to deploy limited resources without coordinating,” she said.
St. Luke’s could also offer different services in different areas. In some communities, like McCall or Sun Valley, the Health System is the only major provider. In the Boise metro area, St. Luke’s, Saint Alphonsus, Saltzer Health and Primary Health all provide some type of medical services.
Health System COVID-19 resources
