HELENA — By now, we are familiar with the procedures of getting a COVID-19 test, but who are these folks administering the tests to our community?
“I am a Certified Medical Assistant and Certified Phlebotomy Technician at Pureview,” says Shannon Bartole, a COVID-19 tester.
“I’m 22 years military-retired,” says Jana Smith, a COVID-19 Team Member for Pureview.
“I have been a nurse for about 14 years," says Dominic Lesueur, a COVID-19 tester. He was a traveling nurse before the pandemic.
These medical professionals have all walked different paths, but their dedication and drive led them all to the same place, the very front line of the pandemic, the COVID-19 testing line.
“I knew it was something that we needed, I mean, it didn't seem like this was going to end anytime soon and the medical field needed help taking care of the patients," says Smith when asked why she wanted to take on this job.
By administering COVID-19 tests, they are sometimes the first health care professionals someone with Coronavirus symptoms will see face-to-face.
"I wanted to be on the front line just to be compassionate to people and let them know that we are here to help them and make sure that they are getting taken care of," says Bartole.
COVID-19 team members like Smith serve as “runners” at Pureview. She assists in any way possible from restocking protective equipment to calling people with their results. She works a 12-hour shift.
"If I was the one driving the car, I would want to know my results and get them quickly and accurately,” says Smith. “So, it's nice to know to keep the public informed on their health.”
In November 2020, Pureview says they were testing over 200 people daily. The average in December 2020 is still about 200 people being tested everyday.
All these medical professionals stressed the importance of wearing masks and following local health guidelines. Pureview is getting ready to vaccinate these employees this week.
Pureview says they are still hiring temporary positions for their COVID-19 team. As of December 22nd, the team has eight members with about 12 members total working the drive thru testing center at one time.
Click here to see Pureview’s career page.
