CINCINNATI – Kroger Health, the healthcare division of The Kroger Co., launched COVIDCare Plus, an 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-collection testing with virtual supervision by a licensed healthcare professional to enhance the patient experience.
"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."
Through Kroger Health's strategic partnership with CLIA-certified laboratory Gravity Diagnostics, testing can be administered 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.
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.
"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."
