In an effort for Ballad Health Medical Associates Urgent Care to respond to an increased novel coronavirus (COVID-19) testing demand, Ballad Health will temporarily repurpose our Urgent Care location on Volunteer Parkway in Bristol to focus solely on COVID-19 testing, effective Monday, Aug. 16.
- All testing will be conducted outdoors via drive-thru testing, and appointments are required.
- The testing will be available Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
- To schedule an appointment, please call Nurse Connect at 833-822-5523 – that’s 833-8-BALLAD.
- You can also schedule testing appointments online at balladhealth.org/COVID19.
NOTE: Team members affected by this change will receive direct communication from their supervisors.
Low threshold for testing
We are encouraging a low threshold for COVID-19 testing, meaning if someone is experiencing any symptoms at all – even minor ones – or has been exposed, they should go ahead and get tested. This holds true even for those who have been fully vaccinated.
This helps us identify exactly how much the virus is spreading in our communities and identify people who might be at-risk of contracting it.
This change will not only help us meet the increased demand for testing, but it will enable our clinical team members to address the patient surges we’re experiencing throughout the system.
Urgent care still available through other avenues
Additionally, for all other urgent care needs, patient can still visit all of our other urgent care locations.
- The location on State Street in Bristol and in Abingdon, Virginia, are the closest to Volunteer Parkway.
- We’re also maintaining Connected Care, our comprehensive telehealth program, which can connect patients to virtual urgent care.
- To schedule a virtual urgent care appointment, please visit www.balladhealth.org or call 423-224-3950.
Virtual Urgent Care charges a $30 flat fee for now, and beginning Sept. 7, we will begin filing those services with insurance.
