HSHS Medical Group begins free drive-through COVID testing

Tests available by appointment only

HSHS Medical Group offices in O’Fallon and select other locations, are introducing free COVID-19 testing at drive-through sites.

The ability to test more people for COVID-19 is said to be critical in helping to curb the spread of the virus, and CARES Act government funding make such testing possible.

People who have any of these symptoms, have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, or need a COVID-19 screening to return to work or school, you can receive a free COVID-19 assessment and testing:

Cough
Fever
Chills
Repeated shaking with chills
Muscle pain
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Headache
Sore throat
Loss of taste or smell

Those who wish to be tested must schedule an appointment through HSHS Medical Group’s online patient portal, MyChart. You do not have to be an established HSHS Medical Group patient to set up an account on MyChart or to access a free test. MyChart can be accessed at HSHSMGCovidTesting.org or downloaded as an app on Apple or Google Play. It takes just minutes to set up an account, complete a short assessment and register for a test. Registration through MyChart is required for testing.

Upon registration, MyChart users are able to choose between four different drive-thru testing sites in Decatur, Effingham, O’Fallon and Springfield. Testing sites are a service of HSHS Medical Group and are located off-site from local HSHS hospitals. The O’Fallon testing site is located in the parking lot of HSHS Medical Group Family Medicine, 1512 N. Green Mount Road, O’Fallon.

Drive-through testing is not available to pre-surgical patients.

Those tested will be able to access their results within two to seven days, at their own convenience, through their MyChart account, which is designed to be safeguarded to ensure patient privacy and confidentiality.

Anyone experiencing severe and life-threatening COVID-19 symptoms (difficulty breathing, cannot drink or eat or seriously ill) should call 911. If they symptoms are not life-threatening, and the person is to travel to an emergency department on their own, they should call the hospital prior to their arrival to explain their symptoms. This will provide the emergency department time to prepare for their arrival and be sure others in the area will be protected from the potential spread of infectious disease.

Other options for COVID-19 testing in the O’Fallon area

For patients exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms, especially emergent, HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital Emergency Department and UrgiCare are available. Patients with emergent COVID-19 symptoms do not need a referral to present at the Emergency Department. Testing at the hospital is not free, it is billed as an emergency room visit. Similarly, at UrgiCare, located at 1512 N. Green Mount in O’Fallon, patients with COVID-19 symptoms will be evaluated by a provider who may order a test and insurance will be billed accordingly.

UrgiCare does not offer free testing for people who do not show any symptoms. If a patient is not having any symptoms but had exposure to COVID-19 and would like a test, they could use the HSHS Medical Group testing site or any of the other free sites in our region. Visit the St. Clair County Health Department’s website at https://www.co.st-clair.il.us/departments/health-department for a current list of testing sites. UrgiCare is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Patients scheduled for surgery at St. Elizabeth’s continue to be tested in advance of their procedure at the hospital’s main entrance. These tests are scheduled through the hospital and physician’s office. This location is not a free, public testing site.