CINCINNATI, Aug. 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Kroger Health,
the healthcare division of The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), today
announced the launch of COVIDCare Plus, a complete
employer-focused health and wellness solution designed to help
American companies restart and maintain their business operations.
The testing program is centered on Kroger Health's FDA-authorized
COVID-19 Test Home Collection Kit which combines self-administered
testing with virtual supervision by a licensed healthcare provider
to help ensure the highest level of accuracy of test results.
As case counts rise and demand for testing increases, providing
adequate amounts of COVID-19 testing continues to be a challenge.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), demand for
testing has tripled while results are taking up to three weeks to
deliver in the hardest-hit areas. Speed of reporting results is a
critical component to help quell the spread of COVID-19.
"We know testing continues to be a critical pillar in the fight
against COVID-19," said Colleen
Lindholz, president of Kroger Health. "And yet, our country
faces ongoing challenges to keep pace with demand. At Kroger
Health, we are grateful to be part of the solution by providing
employers with COVID-19 testing that has a short turnaround time.
This is paramount to keeping American businesses open and people at
work."
Kroger Health's COVID-19 Test Home Collection Kit includes a
telehealth consultation provided at the time of specimen
collection. Supervision of the collection process by a licensed
healthcare professional improves the quality of the sample
collected, increases accessibility, and reduces patient anxiety.
Through Kroger Health's strategic partnership with CLIA-certified
laboratory Gravity Diagnostics, testing can be administered
comfortably at home, with results delivered in 24-48 hours. Samples
are collected via mid-turbinate nasal swabs – the same process that
Kroger Health has deployed at its COVID-19 drive-thru testing
sites, where its multidisciplinary team has collectively
administered 150,000 tests.
In addition to COVID-19 testing and management services,
COVIDCare Plus will offer employers and their teams access to
advanced clinical services like vaccinations, telehealth, and
telenutrition. These services are focused on driving actionable
behavior change that helps combat the larger crisis of chronic
disease that affects nearly half of Americans. According to the
2020 White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Health, 72% of
Americans are either overweight or obese, and more than 100 million
Americans suffer from diabetes or pre-diabetes. The study also
states that poor diet is now the leading cause of poor health in
the United States. Kroger Health's
expertise in "food as medicine" combined with Kroger's position as
America's largest grocery retailer enables a broad set of solutions
that address health, wellness, and nutrition.
"We are solving for the pandemic while building for the
epidemic," Lindholz said. "COVID-19 is our clear focus in the short
term and we have a strong plan in place to help drive our country's
recovery efforts. However, we know that – now more than ever – a
focus on health and wellness needs to become an ongoing way of life
for all of us. That's why we are committed to providing
organizations with the services we know their employees and
stakeholders need to stay healthy."
Kroger Health is the fourth-largest retail healthcare
organization in America, with over 2,200 pharmacies and 220 clinics
in 35 states serving more than 14 million customers. COVIDCare Plus
is currently available in 17 states, with more coming soon.
To learn more about the program or to request testing services
visit krogerhealth.com.
Media Assets
To download images of the Kroger Health
COVID-19 Test Home Collection Kit, please
visit here.
About Gravity Diagnostics
Gravity Diagnostics is a
full-service state-of-the-art CLIA laboratory licensed in all 50
states providing innovative laboratory testing including Infectious
Disease (Upper Respiratory and Sexually Transmitted), Toxicology,
and Pharmacogenomics. We are an advocate for physicians, patients,
and our communities, supporting them with unsurpassed integrity,
regulatory compliance, and clinical expertise. Learn more by
visiting gravitydiagnostics.com.
About Kroger Health
Kroger Health, the healthcare division of The Kroger Co., is one of
America's leading retail healthcare organizations, with over 2,200
pharmacies and 220 clinics in 35 states serving more than 14
million customers. Our team of 22,000 healthcare practitioners -
from pharmacists and nurse practitioners, to dietitians and
technicians – are committed to helping people live healthier lives.
We believe in practicing at the top of our licenses and enabling
"food as medicine" to help prevent and manage chronic disease. We
are dedicated to providing testing and wellness services to help
Americans combat the COVID-19 crisis. Learn more
at www.krogerhealth.com.
About The Kroger Co.
At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we
are Fresh for Everyone™ and dedicated to our Purpose: To Feed
the Human Spirit®. We are, across our family of companies, nearly
half a million associates who serve over 11 million customers daily
through a seamless shopping experience under a variety
of banner names. We are committed to creating
#ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025. To learn more about us,
visit our newsroom and investor relations site.
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SOURCE The Kroger Co.