Birmingham, AL-based said Friday that it will begin offering COVID-19 testing at its senior living communities in six states early next week. The company said it believes it is the first multi-site senior living organization in the U.S. to be able to offer the tests nationwide to residents, prospective residents and staff members.
There have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 at any Atlas community, Atlas President and CEO Scott Goldberg told McKnight’s Senior Living.
Atlas owns or operates 24 communities offering independent living, assisted living and memory care in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina and Tennessee. The organization is working on the initiative with Assurance Scientific Laboratories, which will provide its FDA-approved testing kits to the communities.
“During this time, when all of America is experiencing the effects of this virus, our partnership with Assurance Labs is vital to us as a senior living company,” Goldberg said.
New admissions, residents and employees will be able to be tested on-site so they can avoid high-risk environments such as hospitals, Atlas said. The testing also will allow the organization to accept new residents on the condition that they are tested and receive a negative result for COVID-19.
“We are able to maintain the health of our residents and associates and keep them in a low-risk, contained environment, and we are grateful for that capability with Assurance Labs,” Goldberg said.
Atlas said it will implement new procedures and policies in the coming days.
“It is a priority that this vulnerable population has access to appropriate testing to ensure their safety,” said Chad Austin, M.D., owner of Assurance Labs. “We are proud to partner with Atlas and appreciate their diligence in providing optimal care during these unprecedented times.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
