December 2, 2020

Daily update: UW Health opens new indoor drive-thru testing facility

Madison, Wis. — Starting today, Wednesday, Dec. 2, UW Health will open a new indoor drive-thru testing facility on the east side of Madison at 3819 John Wall Drive.

UW Health has made a long-term commitment to the site as a convenience for patients who regularly express satisfaction with drive-thru testing options for flu shots and COVID-19 tests.

 Immediately, the new site will take over the safe and convenient COVID-19 testing of symptomatic patients, pre-surgical patients and UW Health employees previously performed at an outdoor site on Madison’s west side. With winter weather upon us, this John Wall Drive location allows for the collection of samples for testing in a climate-controlled space, protected from weather-related delays, closures or discomforts. Cars pull into one large entrance then create two lanes which allow at least 10 cars to be inside the facility at a time.

While the new site will focus initially on sample collection for COVID-19 tests, it is expected that flu vaccinations, COVID-19 vaccinations and specimen collection for other medical testing may be performed there as well.

“We want to use our new testing center to optimize the patient experience and the care we deliver here at UW Health. The average time for check-in and testing is 8-10 minutes which patients have appreciated,” said Teresa Neely, UW Health Senior Vice-President and Chief Ambulatory Officer. “We hope this will be a convenient option for patients not just during the pandemic, but in the years to come.”

Since the original testing site opened on March 20, UW Health has completed more than 60,000 COVID-19 tests at the outdoor location. The new site is open seven days a week, 7 a.m.–5 p.m., and UW Health can test over 500 patients per day with a team of 25 staff members.

COVID-19 testing is still by appointment only. Patients should call their primary care provider to determine the next steps and if testing is required.