eTrueNorth Creates Coordinated Network of Clinical Laboratories to Accommodate COVID-19 Testing

eTrueNorth announces the expansion of its infrastructure to include a clinical laboratory network ensuring ample clinical resources are ready and available for increasing COVID-19 testing

FORT WORTH, Texas, May 18, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- eTrueNorth, the U.S.-based healthcare technology company that enables laboratory testing at retail pharmacies, has again expanded its infrastructure to meet the country’s COVID-19 testing needs. With the creation of a coordinated network of clinical laboratories located strategically across the country, eTrueNorth will ensure ready and ample clinical resources are available as COVID-19 testing increases nationwide. The growing list of clinical laboratory partners includes Reditus Laboratories, Pekin, IL; Gravity Diagnostics, Covington, KY; and HealthQuest Esoterics, Irvine, CA.

Last week, eTrueNorth announced its ability to enable drive-through COVID-19 testing sites with a growing list of national pharmacy chains that include Walmart, The Kroger Co., and McKesson’s Health Mart. New testing sites are opening daily. Meeting America’s COVID-19 testing needs, eTrueNorth is a part of the public-private partnership funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The drive-through testing sites are located in parking lots of major pharmacies across the nation.

“With eTrueNorth’s goal to actively participate in hundreds of testing sites across the country, the next natural step was to create a national network of clinical laboratories that meet our stringent quality and accuracy requirements to accommodate the ever-increasing number of tests,” said Michael McEntee, eTrueNorth’s Chairman. “We are using all our resources to create the needed infrastructure to ensure Americans have access to testing and obtain accurate results as quickly as possible.”

eTrueNorth hopes to expand the list of participating clinical laboratories in coming weeks.

“We anticipate the growing need for COVID-19 testing across the country. To enable this exponential growth, and given my background in the clinical laboratory environment and consumer testing, I knew we needed to create a standardized process for specimen collection and testing. The goal is to create efficiencies through a national network of clinical laboratories,” said McEntee.

Aaron Rossi, MD, is Chief Executive Officer of Reditus Laboratories. “My organization is very proud to be a part of the effort to standardize the clinical analysis of specimens taken at the drive-through testing sites,” he said. “What eTrueNorth has created is welcomed by the front-line workers collecting specimens and the participating laboratories. We are all trying to do our part in this crisis. This network will ensure efficient testing and analysis.”   

eTrueNorth’s traditional business model is the formation of a network of more than 7,500 local pharmacies located across the nation. eTrueNorth enables these retail pharmacies to become certified as CLIA-waived laboratories thus empowering local pharmacists to expand their role in the delivery of health services to their customers. In October 2018, the company announced the launch of a technology infrastructure platform to issue vouchers to individuals who need clinical testing (for example cholesterol, A1C, blood sugar, etc.). When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, eTrueNorth leveraged its expertise in clinical testing, existing partnerships with national retail pharmacy brands and its proven voucher technology to aid with drive-through testing. eTrueNorth has built upon its traditional business model to aid with COVID-19 testing.

“eTrueNorth is so thankful that we have the opportunity to increase access to COVID-19 testing for Americans,” said McEntee. “Our technology infrastructure and ability to enable clinical services to be performed at retail pharmacies across the country positioned the company well to partner with national pharmacy brands, HHS and local municipalities on the critical need for expanding testing. Our goal is to open new testing sites and partner with an expanded list of pharmacy brands to meet the need of testing Americans.”

About eTrueNorth
eTrueNorth drives access, quality, and affordability by enabling healthcare services to be provided to consumers at local pharmacies. By empowering local pharmacists to administer preventative healthcare screenings and close gaps in care, eTrueNorth works in partnership with retail pharmacies, self-funded employers, third-party payors and pharmaceutical manufacturers to identify undiagnosed conditions and better manage chronic diseases.  eTrueNorth is on a mission to provide access to basic health & wellness services, to every individual, through a network of trusted providers at retail pharmacies.  By leveraging the accessibility of retail pharmacies, eTrueNorth expands the scope of services provided to consumers to be more effective and of higher quality and, at the same time, enhance the pharmacy’s value as a key participant in a multidisciplinary healthcare delivery model.

eTrueNorth is now utilizing its proven technology infrastructure to enable drive-through COVID-19 testing across the country. By partnering with national pharmacy brands, eTrueNorth takes full advantage of its Voucher Solution to make testing available to those in need. The company is growing its partnerships with national pharmacy brands to increase COVID-19 testing sites nationwide.

Media Contact:
Tom Wiser
eTrueNorth Communications
[email protected]
317-517-2216