Testing Sites

• Ascension Medical Group Sacred Heart opened the first regional drive-through testing center for COVID-19 on Monday, March 16, 2020. The schedule for Ascension Medical Group Sacred Heart’s drive-through center in Pensacola provides community testing for Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) are:
  • Pensacola location off Bayou Blvd. - open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday through Friday. This site can provide up to 300 nasal swab tests per day with lab results back within 48 hours.         
  • The drive-through testing center provides testing for all individuals regardless of whether or not they have symptoms of COVID-19. Before going for a test, interested persons first must call (850) 746-2684.

  • COVID-19 rapid testing  Appointments are available for Escambia County residents who are 3 months and older and are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. Patients desiring COVID-19 testing through Ascension Sacred Heart's locations in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties should pre-register online by visiting: www.getsacredheartcare.com.to be pre-screened and scheduled (if eligible) or call Community Health Northwest Florida at 850-390- 4276. Rapid testing is offered for symptomatic individuals by appointment only. 

• Community Health Northwest Florida — If you don't have a healthcare provider or health insurance, call Community Health Northwest Florida at 850-436-4630. 

  To request a Covid-19 rapid test appointment at a Community Health Northwest Florida testing site, individuals no longer need to call the Ascension Sacred Heart Call Center.

  Instead, individuals may now call the CHNWF designated Testing phone line: 850-390- 4276 and speak directly to a CHNWF team member, who will be able pre-screen and schedule patients for Covid-19 rapid tests as well as provide general testing information.

  Please check the Community Health Northwest Florida Facebook page for updates and additional information.
  
  

  Please note the following changes to the Community Health Northwest Florida Covid-19 mobile testing schedule, effective Tuesday Jan. 19:

  • Brownsville Community Center, 3200 W. DeSoto St., (parking lot across the street), Pensacola- RAPID TESTING ONLY.

    • -Weekdays, 11 a.m. -3 p.m. Drive-through.

    • Pre-screening/appointment IS required.

    • Please call Ascension pre-screening call center: 850-746-2684.

  • 2315 W. Jackson Street - PCR (molecular) SEND-OFF TESTING ONLY.

    • Weekdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Drive-through.

    • No pre-screening/appointment required.

  • Community Health Northwest Florida Cantonment Pediatrics, 470 S. Highway 29, Cantonment– still PCR (molecular) SEND-OFF and RAPID TESTING.
    

    • Weekdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Drive-through.

    • No pre-screen required for send-off test.

    • Pre-screen/appointment IS required for rapid test; please call Ascension pre-screening call center: 850-746-2684.

  All ages are able to be tested. Bring a photo ID and insurance card (if insured).
• Baptist Health Care - Call the screening center at 850-434-4080 to determine if you need an appointment. Online assessment screenings are also available via their website or text “Screen” to 850-318-3080. The online assessment screening is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.   

• FDOH-Escambia- The Florida Department of Health in Escambia County (FDOH-Escambia) will suspend specimen collection for COVID-19 offered to Florida residents. Closure of the testing site will support ongoing COVID-19 contact tracing efforts needed to mitigate community spread and risk of infection to others. COVID-19 testing sites continue to be available at several locations in Escambia County, allowing FDOH-Escambia to focus efforts on contact tracing needs.

• OneBlood is testing all blood donations for the COVID-19 antibody. The antibody test is authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and will indicate if the donor’s immune system has produced antibodies to the virus, regardless of whether they ever showed symptoms. Appointments to donate are required. Masks are required to be worn by all blood donors. You may wear your own or we will provide one for you if needed. To protect our team members and other donors, please do not present to donate if you are not feeling well or have a fever. Please stay home and consider donating once you feel better.

Vaccination

Governor Ron DeSantis signed Executive Order 20-315 which outlines that providers can only administer the COVID-19 vaccine to the following groups:

• Long-term care facility residents and staff.
• Persons 65 years of age and older.
• Health care personnel with direct patient contact.
• Persons deemed to be extremely vulnerable to COVID-19 by hospital providers.

Ascension Sacred Heart

• Ascension Medical Group Sacred Heart will hold a special COVID-19 vaccination clinic on Feb. 26 for Florida residents with developmental and intellectual disabilities who also have conditions that put them at high risk for serious complications from COVID-19. The clinic will include vaccinations for persons with Down syndrome.
  
  The vaccination clinic will be held at Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  
  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adults with Down syndrome have an increased risk of severe illness from the virus that causes COVID-19. Researchers in the United Kingdom have estimated that people with Down Syndrome have a four-fold increased risk for hospitalization from COVID-19 and a 10-fold increased risk for COVID-related death.
  
  Down syndrome appeared in the CDC’s Dec. 23 update to its list of higher risk conditions linked to severe COVID-19 complications. Persons with Down syndrome are more likely to have congenital heart defects and chronic heart conditions, as well as diabetes, asthma or a compromised immune system.
  
  The Feb. 26 clinic also will provide vaccinations for persons with developmental disabilities who have chronic medical conditions that make them highly vulnerable to COVID-19 complications. Those regarded as extremely vulnerable to the virus include patients with cancer, COPD, weakened immune systems, chronic kidney diseases, certain heart conditions, obesity, Down syndrome, diabetes, and sickle cell disease.
  • An appointment scheduled in advance is required to attend the clinic. No walk-in patients will be accepted. A parent or legal guardian may be required to attend to give consent for vaccination.
  • Florida residents interested in arranging an appointment for the Feb. 26 clinic should send an email to Covid19vaccinesupport@ascension.org. When completing an email request, please add in the subject line: "Clinic for adults with disabilities" and, in the email, include the patient's first and last name, date of birth, a brief description of the qualifying high-risk medical condition, and the patient's primary care provider.
  • Ascension Medical Group staff will give shots with the first dose of the Moderna vaccine to up to 400 people who meet the special needs criteria. All participants will be expected to return for a second dose of the vaccine on March 26. Monitor the Sacred Heart Facebook page for more announcements.

Baptist Health Care

• Appointments are available at Baptist Health Care for COVID-19 vaccinations for individuals age 65 and older, frontline health care workers and individuals deemed by their physician to be extremely vulnerable to COVID-19. Appointments can be made online by visiting EasySchedule.com. Appointments are limited and new appointments will be added as Baptist receives more vaccine. 
  • If no appointment times are listed on the schedule, then no vaccine is available at that time. Appointment times will be added as more supplies are received. People are encouraged to check back daily. For questions or assistance with scheduling, email Baptist at BHCVaccine@bhcpns.org.

  • For the Medically Vulnerable

    People under age 65 who are extremely vulnerable will need proof from their physician to obtain a vaccination at Baptist. They should:

    1. Contact their provider to request a letter/note stating they are medically vulnerable.
    2. Schedule an appointment at EasySchedule.com. 
    3. Take the note from their provider to their vaccine appointment.

Florida Department of Health in Escambia County

• FDOH-Escambia will schedule appointments based on supply availability. For the most up-to-date information, follow us on Twitter at @HealthyEscambia and visit EscambiaHealth.com.
• Due to weather conditions delaying vaccine delivery, PODs planned for Thursday, Feb. 18 and Friday, Feb. 19 had to be rescheduled. The Feb. 19 event was rescheduled prior to any appointments being booked for that date. Persons with appointments on Feb. 18 are being rescheduled.
• Escambia County residents who are 65 years and older and healthcare workers should use the statewide preregistration system to sign up for vaccination. Residents can call the toll-free line at 866-201-1025 or preregister online at myvaccine.fl.gov. The TTY number for the deaf and hard of hearing is 833-476-1461. Registrants will be notified when appointments are available in their area. The State has established a help line at 833-959-0217 for those who need to make changes to their original pre-registration. Read more: bit.ly/3tnz2p5.
• This pre-registration system will proactively contact vaccine-eligible individuals to schedule appointments when they are available at health department or emergency management vaccine sites. Appointments are opened based upon the vaccine supply received each week from the State of Florida. Please be aware that when ShareCare calls you to schedule an appointment, they will NOT ask for financial information or social security information.
• If you have pre-registered, we ask for your patience. The demand is high, and the supply is currently limited. As we received vaccine, we work to schedule appointments as quickly as we can. We encourage residents to take advantage of opportunities offered through other partners to get vaccinated.

Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System

•  The Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System's Joint Ambulatory Care Center in Pensacola and the Biloxi Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Mississippi offers COVID-19 vaccinations by appointment only from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. based on availability.
•  Those who meet the criteria can call 1-800-296-8872. (Option 2, then Option 1) to schedule an appointment.

•  The next clinic will be on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2021, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

• Appointments for these events will be available for:
  
  • Veterans 65 and up
  • Veterans with a high-risk medical condition
  • Veterans who are essential workers
  • Eligible High-Risk Veterans: Community Living Centers and other congregate living settings, Homeless Veterans, Hemodialysis patients, Solid Organ Transplant patients or patients who are listed for transplant, Spinal Cord Injury, and Chemotherapy patients (receiving chemotherapy in a clinic/hospital setting)
  • Caregivers of a veteran enrolled in the Comprehensive Caregiver Support Program and receiving a monthly allotment from the VA.

The Federal Retail Pharmacy Program

      CVS

• Register in advance at CVS.com or through the CVS Pharmacy app. People without online access can contact CVS customer service at (800) 746-7287. Walk-in vaccinations without an appointment will not be provided.

  
  Publix

  • Gov. Ron DeSantis announced an expansion of the program to provide COVID-19 vaccines at Publix grocery stores in Northwest Florida starting Thursday, Jan. 14 for adults 65 and older during a press conference in Niceville on Tuesday, Jan. 12.
  • The vaccines will be appointment only at 18 Publix locations in the three counties (six in Escambia County). Please visit publix.com/covid-vaccine. Each Publix location can administer between 120 and 125 shots per day.
  • Monitor Publix's online portal here.

  Walmart and Sam's Club

  • Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies can now accept and administer federal allocations of the COVID-19 vaccine. Walmart and Sam’s Club are working with the federal government to help increase access to COVID-19 vaccines at select pharmacies in 22 states once vaccine doses are available, starting late next week.

    • Once a store or club receives allocation, our online scheduler will be available to make appointments at walmart.com/COVIDvaccine and samsclub.com/covid. 

  Winn-Dixie - Monitor the Winn-Dixie online portal here.
   
  State of Florida
  

  • • Sign up for text message updates about the vaccine and distribution by texting “FLCOVID19” to 888777. After you submit the text message, it will ask you to supply your zip code for local-level updates.
    • Florida has launched a COVID-19 Vaccine Report that will be updated daily. This report includes a breakdown of who has received the vaccine by age, race, sex and county. Check out the latest number of vaccinations on the Escambia County COVID-19 dashboard. 
    • Information about the statewide vaccine distribution plan can be found at floridahealthcovid19.gov/covid-19-vaccines-in-florida.
    • Citizen’s call line for vaccine concerns (Governor’s Office): (850) 717-9337 
    • The Florida Health Department has a brand new COVID-19 vaccine locator site. The new site will allow Floridians to find vaccine sites by county or city and contains contact information for each location. See all locations here - http://ow.ly/k0FX50De10y