RAPID CITY, S.D. (KELO) — Patients with symptoms of COVID-19 can now schedule their testing appointments online with Monument Health, making it easier for patients and less busy for nurses.
On weekdays the nurse triage line for patients used to take about 500 calls per day.
“Really at the end of rally and then as school started as well as businesses getting back into new routines and more people going back to work, we started to see the call volumes creep up and it wasn’t long before the call volumes were double what they were initially,” Lahr said.
Now, with the new program located on the Monument Health’s website, people can go online, answer a few questions and schedule drive-up testing.
“So it’s a really simple process. For patients who already have a MyChart account, they can log directly into MyChart and go to schedule an appointment and they’ll see COVID-19 testing as an option,” Lahr said.
People who don’t have a MyChart account can apply online.
Shelly Roy with the nurse triage line says this has already eased a lot of stress for the nurses answering phone calls.
“I think that it’s decreased the stress on the team because they always want to provide the best care for the patients and knowing that someone is waiting for 45 minutes is a lot of stress,” Roy said.
Now, instead of 500 calls a day, these nurses are seeing about 200.
“Which is much improved the wait times are much less extensive so we’re thrilled,” Roy said.
Plus, it makes the process easier for patients, too.
Shelly Roy with the Monument Health Nurse Triage Line says that calling at around 9 AM, late afternoon, or evening are some of the best times to call.
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