Asingle silver car pulls up to Hilo Medical Center’s drive-through COVID-19 testing site.
Approaching the passenger seat, those manning the tent immediately get to work and start collecting information.
Since March 17, hospital and lab employees have been on the front line of testing for the disease, caused by a novel coronavirus that was first detected late last year.
“It took a lot of coordination, I think, from all the departments to even get this up and running,” nurse manager Tara Wilson said recently. “A lot of meetings, and we had a plan, and then we changed it about 10 to 15 times thereafter. … I think everybody was a little bit more on edge in the beginning — patients, even staff — but now I think it’s a little bit more mellow and relaxed.”
HMC spokeswoman Elena Cabatu said at the beginning of the pandemic, there were quite a few unknowns.
Those unknowns worried both Wilson and lab manager Gayle Sato.
“My concern was to make sure we had enough (testing supplies) for that unknown volume (of patients),” Sato said.
Four people — two employees from Hilo Medical Center and two from Clinical Labs Hawaii— usually work the drive-through tent, which has tested nearly 1,200 people since March.
Testing is available at this site from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday through Friday, but a physician referral is required.
Wilson said Clinical Labs staff will verify the doctor’s referral and get the patient information, while HMC employees take pictures of IDs and insurance cards. Once everything is verified, the patients are swabbed.
“It’s a pretty quick process,” she said. “They got it down pretty good.”
Carrie Sandlin, a nurse who usually works in the hospital’s progressive care unit, began working at the testing site several weeks ago after she was placed on light duty after having a baby.
Sandlin said the testing site staff take standard precautions like washing hands and wearing gloves, masks, gown and goggles. And because they’re doing all nasal swabs, there’s less coughing and less risk of exposure.
“With the drive up, it helps, because we’re pretty much touch-less besides when I am doing a swab,” she said.
“They take their information, they take pictures of their information. … So the risk of transmission is lessened as much as possible, but it’s also just part of the job. At least here, we know that there’s a possibility for exposure. …”
Sandlin said she’s proud to be able to help at the drive-through site and was impressed by the level of organization there.
“It’s very streamlined,” she said. “I’m sure that took a lot of trial and error, but everybody knows their job, and when we get a line, it’s pretty fast. … If we have the order, it takes about five to seven minutes to get you processed and out. It’s very organized, and … I feel like in a lot of ways, it’s safer than being up there in the hospital, where you don’t know (of possible COVID cases) to be totally protected.”
Hannah Mendez, a clinic receptionist, has been working at the site since it first opened, but said she never had any worries or concerns about being exposed to the virus.
“I’m not really one of those people that stresses out too bad,” she said. “I figure (COVID-19 is) just one of those things that I could probably get, even if I just go to the grocery store.”
Her feelings haven’t changed over the intervening week.
Mendez said it’s just another work duty and has liked working there.
“The patients are very sweet. They’re very nice. They always thank us for what we’re doing. They’re very understanding,” she said.
“It’s nice to be able to help out.”
Email Stephanie Salmons at ssalmons@hawaiitribune-herald.com.