Wellington Assistant Village Manager Jim Barnes speaks with Dr. Vincent Apicella of Premier Family Health.
Wellington, Premier Family Health And Palm Beach County Partner On COVID-19 Testing
Testing Site BY M. DENNIS TAYLOR
When initial plans for a pandemic testing site in the western communities didn’t come to fruition, an innovative and first-of-its-kind, three-way partnership was formed between Palm Beach County, the Village of Wellington and Premier Family Health to fill the void. “The Western Communities Council had a desire to see if anybody else could get a testing site going after the initial effort for a testing site at Walmart in Royal Palm Beach could not be executed,”Wel-
lington’s Assistant Village Manager Jim Barnes explained. Barnes said that Wellington quickly volunteered to provide a site at the gymnasium facility at Village Park on Pierson Road. “The county was interested and was looking for a municipality as a partner,” Barnes said. “The village stepped up with a location at the Village Park facility, and we already had a relationship with Premier for our wellness program.”
While the village supplied the site and Premier the healthcare expertise, the county was instrumental in getting the necessary testing kits. “The county took the role of the state and provided the test kits, and Premier provided the testing staff,” Barnes continued. “We prepared a tri-party agreement, and we were off to the races.” Premier Family Health’s Dr. Vincent Apicella was proud to be part of the area’s testing solution. wellington the magazine | july 2020
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