A group of Baylor College of Medicine employees has been playing an important role in the response to COVID-19 in our community by staffing the COVID testing site on the McNair Campus. Now the site has reached a significant milestone – conducting the 10,000th patient test on July 27, representing the hard work of hundreds of employees across the College.
The McNair campus drive-through testing site, located in the parking garage at the rear of the campus, was set up on March 19 as the virus began to circulate in Houston. It operates Monday – Friday, with patient referrals coming from Baylor Medicine and other sources, including Baylor’s own Occupational Health Program, which may refer symptomatic employees and trainees, and some of Baylor’s affiliates. First responders can also receive testing at the McNair site.
Employees serve in different roles at the testing site, from patient verification to obtaining the COVID sample to labeling and sending samples to the lab of Dr. Pedro (Tony) Piedra for results. With their efficiency at work, it takes an average of just 10 minutes for a patient to pull into the McNair testing site, provide a sample, and be on his or her way, never once getting out of the car.
Other support has come from Information Technology, Facilities, Environmental Services, Security and other groups at the College.
“Patients, faculty and staff are very thankful for the services we are providing to Baylor and the Houston area community,” said Mike Cassidy, executive director of ambulatory operations at Baylor, who oversees the operation of the site. “Recently, it’s been a tough job due to the heat in the parking garage, and we cannot express our gratitude enough for the exceptional work our team has been providing.”
Important measures are in place to ensure safety for everyone and to assist with the environment, including tent booths with air conditioning units, large fans, full Personal Protective Equipment, staff working in 3 hour shifts, and the clinical staff working in pairs at each booth with an assistant and a tester to back each other up.
As the pandemic has continued to spread in the Houston area, testing has increased at the site. Lately, about 215 patients per day are tested, with the high coming on July 2, when 254 patients were tested for COVID-19. Results come back in about 24 hours.
See the full list of Baylor employees who have staffed the McNair testing site, and be sure to say ‘Thank you’ for their valuable service.
Testing staff
Donna Ansualda, CHC; Blanca Arevalo, Neurology; Melanie Astorga, Orthopedic Surgery; Yessenia Ayala, Transition Medicine; Laura Baker, Ophthalmology; Cherita Banks, Surgery; Iesha Beckett, Orthopedic Surgery; Semhar Bekit, Diagnostic Services; Stephanie Bedford, Stephanie; Urology; Sherrie Benson, Surgery; Valeria Bermudez, Urology; Jonathan Brown, Orthopedic Surgery; Alma Castillo, Dermatology; Christina Chen, Otolaryngology; Dr. Michael Coburn, Urology; Zachquana Cole, Dermatology; Valerie Corpening, Neurosurgery; Stephanie Cortez, Family Medicine; Kris Covington, Surgery; Claudace Davion, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation; Jessica De Leon, Radiology; Chelsea Driskell, Otolaryngology; Miriam Everett, Diagnostic Services; Ruby Farias, Medicine; Amelia Flores, Medicine; Milbia Flores, Comprehensive Health Center; Rossy Flores, Medicine; Elizabeth Fuller, Neurology; Lizzeth Garcia, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation; Lori Garcia, Radiology; Lori Garza, Orthopedic Surgery; Ana Gonzalez, Family Medicine; Cassandra Gonzalez, Anesthesia; Muriel Grace, Orthopedic Surgery; Carrie Grady, Family Medicine; Penny Gregg, Neurology; Azalea Gregorio, Internal Medicine; Margaret Griffin, Hem-Onc; Alexa Guerra, Neurology; Wendy Hammerman, Neurology; Jasmia Hardeman, Surgery; Zahra Harun, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation; Connie Henry, Dermatology; Leandria Hosey, Urology; Ashley Hicks, Allergy and Rheumatology; Michelle Kelley Plastic Surgery; Cheryl Houston, Orthopedic Surgery; Debra Jamie, CHC; Keitavia Johnson, Psychiatry; Shanice Jones, Surgery; Shapel Joseph, Surgery; Shona Kaskar, Allergy and Rheumatology; Destiny Koontz, Sleep Medicine; April Leger, Ophthalmology; Alexis Lindley, Surgery; Rebecca Lipsey, Nephrology; Elizabeth Lopez, Cardiology; Haley Magar, Otolaryngology; Irssa Marinez, Dermatology; Olga Martinez, Internal Medicine; Jade Matejka, Medicine; Shametria McGhee, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation; Elizabeth Medina, Dermatology; Ana Melendez, Neurosurgery; Dina Melendez, Family Medicine; Isabel Mendoza-Perez, Neurology; Claudell Montano, Cardiology; Bri Monteroso, Neurology; Anna Moore, IT; Teresa Mose, Plastic Surgery; Krystal Moss-Brown, Surgery; Margaret Olafson, Ophthalmology; Maricrus Orosco, Dermatology; Larissa Payne, Otolaryngology; Karla Perez, Nephrology; Nellie Perez, Urology; Noelys Perez-Rivero, Urology; Kyna Perry, Neurology; Esthefania Ponce Cobos, Neurosurgery; Elizabeth Puente, Neurosurgery; Soloman Punjwani, Internal Medicine; Rose Quintanilla, Plastic Surgery; Xochi Ramos, Family Medicine; Maha Rasheed, Neurosurgery; Shelia Ray, Dermatology; Tandrea Reagor, Neurology; Jocelyn Register, Pulmonary; Kierra Reitzell, Neurology; Miriam Rivera, Allergy and Rheumatology; Brandi Rodriguez, Allergy and Rheumatology; Nelly Rodriguez, gastroenterology; Star Rodriguez, Urology; Chrissy Ronzano, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation; Ebony Roots, Infectious Diseases; Rosaura Salazar, Otolaryngology; Suzanne Salazar, IT; Ellena Sanchez, Surgery; Demonica Seedanee, Neurology; Halie Seward, Otolaryngology; Althea Smallwood, Medicine; Amber Smith, Neurology; Kristina Smith, Dermatology; Tangelia Smith, Neurology; Stoney Snider, Transition Medicine; Shanell Spriggs, Urology; Victoria Steadman, Otolaryngology; Nichole Stewart, Gastroenterology; Randy Swiley, Family Medicine; Marshall Sykes, Family Medicine; Inna Sysman, Ambulatory Operations, Lauren Szerencsits, Orthopedic Surgery; Britney Taylor, Surgery; Jennifer Terrasas, Anesthesia; Lauren Tezak, Plastic Surgery; Paul Trejo, Urology; Michelle Vasquez, Surgery; Amanda Vega, Ophthalmology; Shey Vories, Dermatology; Carolyn Wheeler, Transition Medicine; Sharonda Wilkes, Family Medicine; Anahi Zarate, Otolaryngology; Karina Zurita, Internal Medicine;
Administrative
Ann Borja, Medicine; Chea Davy, Ambulatory Operations; Barbara Hernandez, Surgery; Latrice Lenior, Ambulatory Operations; Peter Luczyszyn, Ambulatory Operations ; Meghan McKay, Orthopedic Surgery ;Mauro Montoya, Ophthalmology; Juni Muhota-Langham, Bianca Murrell, Transition Medicine; Medicine; Tetiana Pavlovska, Orthopedic Surgery; Nancy Ramirez, Medicine; Contrece Reed, Surgery; Liting Ren, Ophthalmology; Shelina Velani, Medicine; Jessica Villanueva, Ambulatory Operations
Operational Leaders
Fay Amaya, Ambulatory Operations; Mike Cassidy, Ambulatory Operations; Grant Coffman, Clinical Operations; Rebecca Grubb, Neurology; Morgan Lowman, Orthopedic Surgery; Jonathan Mayes, Orthopedic Surgery; Taylor Russo, Orthopedic Surgery; Dr. Jim Kelaher, Occupational Health Program; Dr. Pedro Piedra, Virology and Molecular Biology; Cathy Simmons, Clinical Research; Tera Skeen, Ambulatory Operations; Dr. John Stroh, Occupational Health Program
R.N. Supervisors
Suzanne Bearden, Neurology; Keisha Bell, Quality Nurse; Allison Carter, Transition Medicine; Becci Hannigan, Urology; Ginny Howard, Cardiology; Lisa Icard Ambulatory Operations; Terry Leydon, Quality Nurse; Desiree McGee, Infusion Center; Jill Riley, Surgery; Angela Sterling, Quality Nurse; Megan Watts, Otolaryngology; Barbara Williams, Quality Nurse
Additional Support
Hans Anderson CHI Facilities; Will Davis, Environmental Services; Juan DeLeon, IT; Frank Faulkner, Facilites; Rene Fletcher; Robert Fletcher, Security; Mike Guzman, Epic IT; Robert Health, Facilities; Marissa Hernandez, EPIC; Chad Howard, IT Frances Lee, Research; David Matteson, CHI Operations; Warren McCall, IT; Tri “Jonathan” Nguyen, BCM Lab; Erin Nicholson, Molecular Virology and Microbiology; Kosarl Sam, Facilities; Mike Stephens, Facilities; Sarah Tello, CPL Lab; Natalie Tran, IT; Kristin Wade, Ambulatory Operations; Steve Womack Facilities; Kaylani Yedulla, Baylor Improvement Group
-By Dana Benson
BCM Family 