Carroll County opens drive-thru test site in Huntingdon

HUNTINGDON, Tenn. — Carroll County was one of the first counties in West Tennessee to report a confirmed COVID-19 case.

Now, less than a month later, a drive-thru testing location is open in Huntingdon.

“We’re hoping that we can help our community by making this easy,” Susan Breeden, CEO of Baptist Memorial Hospital of Carroll County, said. Baptist Memorial Hospital of Carroll County runs the location.

It’s an easy process: if you think you have symptoms of coronavirus, call (866) 941-4785.

From there, they can set up an appointment for you to come to the drive-thru.

“The reason for the appointment is to make sure we have the correct contact information. So when we get the results, we’re able to contact you and let you know what your results are,” Baptist Memorial nurse Cindy Cole said.

You do not need to be a Carroll County resident to be tested at the site, but you will need some form of photo ID.

“We do use the nasal swab, where we do have to go pretty deep. But that is the best way to make sure we’re doing the correct testing procedure,” Cole said.

Once tested, hospital staff says it will take anywhere from two to four days to get results.

“Right now we have scheduled through the end of next week,” Breeden said. “We will look at the need, and we can definitely extend that if the need exists.”

For the nurses at the Carroll County Complex, the COVID-19 drive-thru testing site is almost surreal.

“I’ve been a registered nurse for 32 years, and I’ve never experienced anything like this in my career,” Cole said.

Nurses at the hospital say they’re happy to help each other out.

“We see that camaraderie with our colleagues, and nobody ever says no. They’re always available and willing to do whatever needs to be done,” Cole said.

On Wednesday, the first day of testing, only two people had made appointments by 10 a.m., but personnel said they expect those numbers to go up.

“We had just gotten the information out to the public yesterday, so we expect that to pick up,” Breeden said.

Baptist Memorial has been preparing for something like this for weeks, even before the first case was confirmed.

“We have worked in conjunction with our system, Baptist Healthcare Corporation, to do tabletop exercises, so that we can ensure our staff is comfortable,” Breeden said.

“They have been working to make sure that beds are available, that we have the respirators and the equipment for the community and the residents, and also for our staff,” Cole said.

The site is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at 625 High Street in Huntingdon.