Express Family Clinic in Spring Offering Private Covid 19 Testing

THE WOODLANDS, TX -- In an effort to continue providing high quality medical care at an affordable cost, Melissa Herpel of Express Family Clinic is proud to announce that the clinic will begin offering COVID-19 testing in partnership with a private lab that is validated and listed on the FDA website as a resource library for COVID-19 testing.

How will testing work?
Testing is going to be available by appointment only. This gives the provider an opportunity to call everyone and go over symptoms and give detailed testing instructions. The requirement of an appointment is also for the safety of everyone involved and to ensure enough tests are being ordered to serve our client's needs.

Appointments must be made 1-2 days in advance. This advance appointment requirement is to ensure we have enough tests on hand and to confirm the lab's capacity for testing. We cannot order a large quantity of tests ahead of time due to the upfront cost. We are charging our patients a fraction of the markup being charged by surrounding clinics because we feel so strongly that our community needs an affordable place to go for testing and we want to try to do what we can to make this an easier time for concerned families.

The cost of the test is $125.00 and is due AT THE TIME OF BOOKING. We are requiring payment prior to the scheduled appointment to avoid contact as much as possible. We DO NOT bill insurance, but we will email you a receipt that you can file with your insurance carrier for reimbursement. Call your carrier for details about reimbursement.


We recommend testing and screening for patients who are exhibiting signs and symptoms of COVID-19. According to the CDC, most patients with confirmed COVID-19 have developed fever and/or symptoms of acute respiratory illness (e.g., cough, difficulty breathing). Priorities for testing include:
PRIORITY 1
Hospitalized patients
Symptomatic healthcare workers
PRIORITY 2
Patients in long-term care facilities with symptoms
Patients 65 years of age and older with symptoms
Patients with underlying conditions with symptoms
First responders with symptoms
PRIORITY 3
Critical infrastructure workers with symptoms
Individuals who do not meet any of the above categories with symptoms
Health care workers and first responders
Individuals with mild symptoms in communities experiencing high COVID-19 hospitalizations
NON-PRIORITY
Individuals without symptoms

What does the test entail and how will it be administered?
The provider will call you the day before your test and review your symptoms as well as give detailed instructions about the testing procedure. The test is a sputum sample--meaning, you will spit in a cup provided to you and hand it back to a staff member.

To ensure there is minimal contamination and contact, we will be employing a drive-up testing method. At the time of your appointment you will pull up to the clinic (Spring clinic located on Rayford Rd only at this time) and park in the designated testing space. A member of our staff will come out to provide you with the collection materials and instructions on obtaining a good specimen. Bring a water bottle and an extra cup. You will roll your window up before you spit in your cup to help protect staff from contamination. Once your specimen has been obtained you will cover the cup and place in the collection bag, then roll down your window and hand the bag to the staff member. It is imperative that you follow these instructions closely to ensure to the best of our ability that we are keeping our staff safe from contamination and potential exposure.

The specimens will be sent to our partnered private lab the day of collection. Results are expected within 3-4 business days. You will be notified by phone of your results. The results of the test DO NOT change current treatment recommendations or “stay at home” order. The results of the test will be for informational and reporting purposes only.

Express Family Clinic can also provide virtual visits for minor illness and prescription refills. For more information, visit www.expressfamilyclinic.com