Gov. Pete Ricketts said TestNebraska has conducted 72,000 tests so far and is delivering some of the fastest turnaround times. He said the average time to get back test results last week, was 31 hours.However, Bob Rauner, a physician in Lincoln, believes TestNebraska is missing the mark."The point of testing is responding rapidly to any new cases," Rauner said.He said cases in Lincoln continue to climb. On Friday, the Lincoln-Lancaster Health Department increased its risk dial to high as 30 more people tested positive for the coronavirus. Rauner said it can take a week to get results from some labs for his patients.He would like to use TestNebraska but has been told his patients would have to go through the online assessment process which could also take weeks. "Why can't the physicians seeing these patients, why can't they just get the swab and they can take the swabs whoever is running the test," Rauner said.He said he and other medical organizations have been calling for better coordination with TestNebraska."I have an email sent weeks ago suggesting just that. And they never answered my email," Rauner said.He said that is one of his biggest frustrations."They are just doing their own thing on an island and they are not involving the medical community," Rauner said.Ricketts said TestNebraska has been responding to hot spots. One of the latest testing sites is in north Omaha to address needs in that community."We are allowing people just to drive up or walk up and be able to get signed up for TestNebraska.com and we've done that in other situations as well. So we've tried to be flexible," Ricketts said. But Ricketts said they have a system in place that allows them to get results quickly."So if doctors want to take advance of that, they are certainly welcome to do that. But if we start changing that system that's going to slow down that response time." Rickett said.He says everyone is treated the same."We're not going to allow those patients to cut in line ahead of somebody else who is already using TestNebraska," Ricketts said.Rauner said the lack of coordination is creating a delay to get needed information to health officials so they can identify an outbreak and get it under control "And so if it's not designed to do that, then maybe they need to redesign what TestNebraska is trying to do," Rauner said.

Gov. Pete Ricketts said TestNebraska has conducted 72,000 tests so far and is delivering some of the fastest turnaround times. He said the average time to get back test results last week, was 31 hours.

However, Bob Rauner, a physician in Lincoln, believes TestNebraska is missing the mark.

"The point of testing is responding rapidly to any new cases," Rauner said.

He said cases in Lincoln continue to climb. On Friday, the Lincoln-Lancaster Health Department increased its risk dial to high as 30 more people tested positive for the coronavirus.

Rauner said it can take a week to get results from some labs for his patients.

He would like to use TestNebraska but has been told his patients would have to go through the online assessment process which could also take weeks.

"Why can't the physicians seeing these patients, why can't they just get the swab and they can take the swabs whoever is running the test," Rauner said.

He said he and other medical organizations have been calling for better coordination with TestNebraska.

"I have an email sent weeks ago suggesting just that. And they never answered my email," Rauner said.

He said that is one of his biggest frustrations.

"They are just doing their own thing on an island and they are not involving the medical community," Rauner said.

Ricketts said TestNebraska has been responding to hot spots. One of the latest testing sites is in north Omaha to address needs in that community.

"We are allowing people just to drive up or walk up and be able to get signed up for TestNebraska.com and we've done that in other situations as well. So we've tried to be flexible," Ricketts said.

But Ricketts said they have a system in place that allows them to get results quickly.

"So if doctors want to take advance of that, they are certainly welcome to do that. But if we start changing that system that's going to slow down that response time." Rickett said.

He says everyone is treated the same.

"We're not going to allow those patients to cut in line ahead of somebody else who is already using TestNebraska," Ricketts said.

Rauner said the lack of coordination is creating a delay to get needed information to health officials so they can identify an outbreak and get it under control

"And so if it's not designed to do that, then maybe they need to redesign what TestNebraska is trying to do," Rauner said.

See the article here:

'They are just doing their own thing on an island': Doctor wants more COVID-19 coordination with Test Nebraska - KETV Omaha