BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — The City of Binghamton is working with United Health Services (UHS) and an Ithaca–area business on providing same-day COVID-19 test results.
Binghamton Mayor Richard David on Thursday announced the partnership, along with John Carrigg, president and CEO of UHS, and Gregory Galvin, president and CEO of Rheonix Inc.
Binghamton has supplied UHS with a Rheonix Encompass MDx workstation for coronavirus testing. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on April 29 approved an emergency use authorization (EUA) for Rheonix’s COVID-19 MDx assay.
UHS says it plans to buy an additional workstation, which will enable the health system to locally process up to 200 tests per day, or 1,400 per week, on two workstations.
“This workstation will significantly increase the rate of testing in Broome County, and UHS is pleased to be able to partner with the City of Binghamton to enhance the well-being and safety of our community,” John Carrigg, president and CEO of United Health Services, said in a statement. “Our laboratory staff have been working to quickly test and validate this new testing program. With healthcare being the leading employer in this community, it is very important that we have adequate testing for healthcare workers and other first responders. With this partnership, we are well positioned to be one of the leading providers of testing in the Southern Tier.”
The cost of the workstation and startup testing supplies is $55,100, paid for by the City of Binghamton and reimbursable as part of the CARES Act COVID-19 federal relief package, UHS said.
Testing from the new workstations will be available to City of Binghamton first responders, essential personnel, local health-care workers, UHS patients, and other “priority” populations identified by health-care professionals.
Broome County has tested 3,806 people, according to the most recent New York State Department of Health testing data updated May 6. Gov. Cuomo and other state and federal leaders have said widespread testing will be “key” to reopening communities.
“The City identified a Southern Tier firm and cutting-edge COVID-19 virus testing technology and quickly put it to work. Our partnership with Rheonix and UHS will increase local testing capacity, as testing in Broome County to date has frankly lagged behind our neighboring counties. With Governor Cuomo’s announcement Monday that diagnostic testing capacity will be a core factor in regional economic re-opening, improved testing is important — now more than ever,” Mayor David said. “In addition to improving testing capacity, these testing workstations will put the community in a stronger position to re-open our economy and let residents get back to work safely.”