Penn State Health St. Joseph has opened a curbside chest X-ray service at the medical center’s main entrance. This new service is part of its continued efforts to ensure patient safety during the coronavirus pandemic.
During the hours of 8 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday, patients who are under suspicion or positive for COVID-19 and need a chest X-ray can drive up to the front entrance, where an imaging technician will guide them through the registration and imaging process. Appointments are not required.
Patients will need an order from their physician for a one-view chest X-ray before they can be seen. The X-ray process takes approximately 10 minutes from start to finish, and patients are sent home immediately following their imaging.
“This unique service mitigates exposure to the virus to the population within the hospital and conserves personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies,” explains Lynn Kaufman, director of imaging. “The location just inside the main entrance also makes it convenient to our drive-through COVID-19 testing and curbside pharmacy pickup should those services be needed.”
