Adjustment will allow for optimal allocation of staff during lower demand for testing 

MU Health Care is pausing operations at its COVID-19 drive-thru testing site in the Mizzou softball stadium parking lot next to the Hearnes Center, effective Saturday, Sept. 19, as part of its ongoing response to fluctuations in testing demand.

Testing volumes at the softball stadium site and Mizzou North site, located at 115 Business Loop 70 W. decreased from 3,100 during the final week of August to 2,000 last week. To better optimize staffing and resources, MU Health Care will only operate the Mizzou North location beginning Saturday, Sept. 19.

MU Health Care will continue to monitor demand, and, if testing volumes increase significantly, has the infrastructure in place to resume testing at the Hearnes site. MU students who need to be tested will still have a walk-up location on campus, located on the south side of Parking Structure 7, across from Missouri Orthopaedic Institute.

“Testing demand is a very fluid metric, and we are monitoring it very closely to ensure we have the appropriate staff and resources to provide a convenient testing experience,”said Jonathan Heidt, MD, MU Health Care emergency physician. “The Mizzou North location is now our primary testing site because we have an entire lab located on the property to provide the most efficient test results possible.”

MU Health Care continues to hire additional staff for its drive-thru testing operations. Those who are interested in these positions can learn more and apply at https://muhealth.org/spotlight-jobs.  

The operating hours for the Mizzou North location are: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday. Patients suffering severe symptoms or breathing problems should go to the emergency department or call 911.

For more details about these additional services and information regarding COVID-19, visit muhealth.org/coronavirus.

Note for producers and editors: Due to the fluidity of testing demand and the health system’s flexibility to respond to this demand, future announcements about testing site changes will be made through MU Health Care’s social media accounts and updated on its website.