COVID-19 Testing Collaboration: Child and Family Clinic

About the Program

Category: Health (Best in Category)

Year: 2021

In June 2020, Dakota County Public Health surveyed 48 medical clinics within Dakota County to determine criteria, capability, capacity, interest, and costs associated with SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) testing. After reviewing the survey results, Public Health staff determined that Dakota Child and Family Clinic (DCFC) would be the best partner to provide voluntary testing. DCFC reported that they would be able to test Dakota County residents who do not have a clinic home, or are underinsured/un-insured, at no cost to the resident. Utilizing CARES funds, three drive-through clinics, each week for ten weeks, were approved by the Dakota County Board of Commissioners. After initial success and overwhelming demand, additional CARES funding was secured to expand the number of testing days and locations. This program was one of the state’s first free, no-documentation-required COVID-19 testing sites. Initial estimates for the total number tested was 3,840, and by December 2020 DCFC had tested over 7,000 people; one-third of whom did not have insurance and therefore would have had difficult times getting tested another way. Ninety-nine percent of people tested reported a “good” or “excellent” experience, increasing trust between the government and the community, which has echoing effects on future Dakota County initiatives, like vaccine distribution.