Asante opens new collection site in Grants Pass for COVID-19 testing

Location will serve Josephine County residents

Asante has opened its second drive-through COVID-19 specimen collection site. The newest collection site opened Monday, July 13 and is located near the Asante Three Rivers Medical Center campus on the corner of SW Ramsey Avenue and Ringuette Street.

“The number of people in Josephine County who need to be tested for COVID-19 continues to rise,” said Win Howard, senior vice president and CEO of Asante Three Rivers Medical Center. “Asante is opening this new collection site so our community members can get the services they need as quickly and conveniently as possible.”

The collection site is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Saturday 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. In order to have a specimen collected, a person must have a physician’s order for testing. “At this location, we’ll collect specimens for diagnostic and screening tests, including pre-surgery and medical procedures at the hospital,” said Susan Cease, manager of Laboratory Services at Asante Three Rivers. “We anticipate collecting anywhere from 30 to 100 specimens a day, depending on demand.”

Specimen testing will be performed at Asante or at a commercial laboratory based on the priority of the test and availability of supplies to run the test. Turnaround times for test results will vary, depending on where the specimen is tested (Asante or commercial lab).

Asante opened its first drive-through specimen collection site in Medford in early March when the pandemic first hit Southern Oregon. That location remains open to serve Jackson County residents. Asante does not offer COVID-19 antibody testing.