CINCINNATI, Ohio — In a virtual news conference, Premier Health and CompuNet labs announced a significant advancement in testing capacity.
- Allows CompuNet Labs in Moraine to process up to 1,500 tests per day in the Miami Valley
- Shortens turnaround times, as patients should see results within 24 hours
- Previously, CompuNet could only process around 100 tests per day
What You Need To Know
By adding a new platform for testing through polymerase chain reaction testing or PCR, they will now be able to process up to 1,500 COVID-19 tests per day.
“This expansion of our testing capacity will be a game changer for our region, for patients, for healthcare workers, and really, the entire community,” Mary Boosalis, Chief Operating Officer for Premier Health said.
Previously, CompuNet was only able to process about 100 tests per day, and initially those results took an average of about 10 days to process.
Over the past few weeks they trimmed down turnaround time to two days for most patients. But now with the new system that will roll out early next week, patients can expect to receive results 24 hours or less.
Mike Uhl, president of Miami Valley Hospital, said this advancement will reaffirm safety for patients, as well as allow the hospital to provide the right care.
“Our goal is to test every patient, every admission that comes into our facility, and this new technology and new capability will give us the ability to do that, as well as shorten the turnaround times to give us more of a rapid or faster results,” Uhl said. "And so we're really excited about this capability.”
CompuNet Chairman of the Board Dr. Atef Shrit said this is a very significant development because currently, we do not know how widespread infection is in the Miami Valley.
“More widespread availability of testing will help, revealing the true extent of the outbreak in the community,” Shrit said. “And it is a critical step towards reopening of our society.”
CompuNet can now process test results in 6-8 hours after they receive the samples. However, with this increase in testing capacity, they expect to see a rise in cases. Montgomery County has 356 confirmed cases of the virus as of May 8 at 2 p.m.
Moving forward, Uhl said advanced testing will also play a key role in conserving the amount of personal protective equipment used by frontline heath care workers, furthering their commitment to ensure a safe hospital.
“Our commitment has always been and will remain making sure that we have a safe and healthy environment for our patients and our team members,” Uhl said. “This new capability will certainly help us enhance that."