Starting November 1, Beacon Health Care is hosting a pop-up COVID-19 and strep testing facility at Home Care’s store-front location in TMR. Anyone from across Home Care’s network—or the neighbourhood itself—can access the rapid antigen and PCR testing site. Although walk-in appointments are available, you can also book ahead online by visiting - https://www.santebeaconhealth.com/tmr
“We’re happy to be partnering with Beacon Health Care to offer this capability right here, at our Home Care location,” explains Home Care Assistance Montreal’s Tim Thomas. “It’s been difficult for people to access various types of testing over the course of the pandemic. We’re excited to play a part in the solution by providing a safe, easy and accessible testing facility for anyone who needs one.”
Beacon Health Care was founded by long-time nurse Elisabeth Albers and business partner Antonella Argento at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a nurse working the front-lines during the worst of the crisis, Alders saw countless patients leave with requisition forms for testing before ultimately returning to the hospital, unable to find anywhere to get the tests done.
“We started this in April because we saw the need for at-home nursing help,” she explains. “So mobile nursing to do blood tests and of course with what’s going on in the world, COVID-19 tests. There was a real need there”
Six months later, Alders says they now offer a host of different COVID-19 capabilities, as well as strep tests, blood work, EKGs, Holter monitoring and other services either in-home, or at pop-up sites in partnership with pharmacies and businesses across the city. “We cover off COVID-19 testing for travel document purposes, too. And if people are having trouble getting any testing done, we’re able to send nurses to their homes within a week or so to help clients get what they need.”
The Beacon Health Care pop-up testing site will be open at Home Care Assistance Montreal’s TMR location Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 2394 Chemin Lucerne, Mount-Royal, H3R2J8 (under provigo, across from Starbucks).