Wisconsin – Prevea Health is announcing some changes to community COVID-19 testing which will begin Oct. 1, 2022, to align with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services’ ‘antigen-first’ model. 

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services’ COVID-19 Community Testing Support Program partnered with organizations like Prevea Health to provide local, convenient COVID-19 testing sites. As the knowledge and understanding of COVID-19 testing has evolved, DHS is shifting the program’s efforts to an ‘antigen first’ model.

Currently, Prevea Health provides polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for COVID-19 which can take 24 to 48 hours to provide a patient with results. While PCR testing is shown to produce more accurate results, an antigen test can produce results in 15 minutes. PCR tests will still be performed in certain cases but testing patients for COVID-19 using an antigen test first will help to ensure more rapid results and increased testing availability in the event of a surge.

Beginning Oct. 1 at Prevea Health community COVID-19 testing locations, PCR tests will only be available for those who are symptomatic with a negative antigen result and those without symptoms will only receive an antigen test. This testing will be offered at 11 locations throughout Wisconsin in Ashwaubenon, Sheboygan, Oconto Falls, Altoona, Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire, Ladysmith, Menomonie, Mondovi and Rice Lake. For more information about Prevea Health community COVID-19 testing, please visit: www.prevea.com/covid-19-center

Appointments for COVID-19 testing are required and can be scheduled through the Prevea patient portal, MyPrevea. Visit www.myprevea.com to set up an account at no cost. MyPrevea is also available as an app on any smartphone or device. For those unable to use the internet, they may call 1 (833) 344-4373 to schedule an appointment. There continues to be no cost for community COVID-19 testing with Prevea Health at this time.

Wisconsin residents are also encouraged to order free, at-home COVID-19 antigen tests through DHS by visiting: www.sayyescovidhometest.org

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About Prevea Health

Founded in Green Bay, Wis. in 1996, Prevea Health is a health care organization that provides high-quality, primary and specialty health care in 80+ locations across Northern, Eastern and Western Wisconsin in clinic and hospital settings. It is partnered with six Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) hospitals across Wisconsin to provide patients a system of highly coordinated care, close to home: HSHS St. Vincent Hospital and HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center in Green Bay; HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital in Sheboygan; HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital in Oconto Falls; HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire; and HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chippewa Falls. For more information, visit www.prevea.com.