New COVID-19 testing option for UNMC community, family members

Ted Cieslak, MD, interim executive director of the UNMC Office of Health Security, and Jane Meza, PhD, interim executive director of the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) Office of Health Security, sent the following message Tuesday to members of the UNMC and and UNO community.

UNMC and UNO leadership have developed a new option for providing COVID-19 testing services for UNO and UNMC employees and students. In addition, an option has been developed for family members or members of the household as described below.

The enhanced COVID testing program is being made available to provide for your personal health and to allow you to stay focused on your work or education. If you believe you or your family members have been exposed to individuals with COVID-19, or need to be tested for safety, travel or peace of mind and are not displaying any symptoms of COVID-19, the following off-campus option is available. This service is provided in addition to COVID-19 specimen collection sites that may be provided on campus.

Trained experts will perform the collection at the Universal Swab Center located at 5710 S. 144th St. in Omaha. The facility was specifically designed to provide safe specimen collection during the winter months when drive-through collection is not feasible. All tests will be performed using an RT-PCR assay, the most sensitive method for detecting SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The specimen collected for this test is the nasopharyngeal swab because it is the most sensitive approach. As an additional benefit, we will perform surveillance testing for influenza A and influenza B viruses on the same sample.

You must preregister to allow the facility to maintain optimal separation of individuals. This service is not available to the general public and is intended for employees and students. Household members must identify their affiliated employee or student at time of registration. Time slots for scheduling are available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday; however, this testing program is only offered during selected times, meaning it is not available for walk-in service.

Specimens from UNO and UNMC employees and students will be tested at no charge. For family or household members, insurance information or personal address for billing will be obtained at time of collection. If insurance will not cover the service, the individual will be responsible for the test cost of $65. The test used for family members will only detect COVID and not influenza.

Your results will be sent to an email address you provide during the registration. The results will NOT be uploaded to your medical record. If you or a family member receive a positive test result, you must notify Employee Health at 402-552-3563

Use this link to schedule an appointment if you are a UNO or UNMC employee or student.

Use this link if you are scheduling an appointment for a family or household member of a UNO or UNMC employee or student.