Nevadans To Have Access To At-Home COVID-19 Testing

Ready Responders is a group of EMTs, Nurses, and other health professionals. They're bringing at-home COVID-19 testing to Nevadans in the Reno/Sparks area.

It's also partnering with REMSA to expand and improve patient care across Northern Nevada.

"That's an exciting part of our new service line, we'll be able to do COVID-19 testing in the home. Where we're actually able to collect the PCR swabs and send those out for results without the patient ever leaving their home," says Jared Oscarson, Senior Vice President of Business Relations with Ready Responders.

If Ready Responders is dispatched to a home, and the patient screens positive for COVID-19, they can provide the test on-site.

They're working closely with the Washoe County Health District and REMSA to fill care gaps for patients who otherwise wouldn't be able to go to a testing facility.

Ready Responders is working with a national partner, that is giving them access to additional testing kits.

In addition to this service, they're permanently partnering with REMSA, who will be linking patients to Ready Responders.

"Remaining at home is very important especially if you have an injury or illness that's of low acuity that doesn't require an emergency department. So the ability to keep you in home, safe and away from any other infections diseases that may be taking place in a hospital setting," says Kevin Romero, Vice President of Operations with REMSA.

Ready Responders will assess the patient's condition in-person, by getting baseline vital signs and observing signs and symptoms. Then they will connect the patient via telehealth technology to a mid-level or physician. Here's how it works:

"So now a 911 caller has options, essentially they can receive an advanced life support ambulance. Or they can be funneled over to our nurse health line to receive telephonic care, and that nurse health line can make a decision whether or not to respond a ready responder," says Romero.

Health officials with Ready Responders say the goal is to get this program up and running in the Reno/Sparks area and in Las Vegas. While they're doing so, they'll be looking into providing this same care to rural Nevada as well.