Serenity Health issues apology to Pahrump community

After nearly eight full months of providing COVID-19 testing to the local community without any reported problems, officials with Serenity Health have issued a formal apology to the community following a vexing night in which the health care provider ran out of testing materials and area residents who had been waiting in line were told they would not be able to receive a test that evening.

“Dear members of the community; My name is Gaby Cruz, and I am the owner of Serenity Health,” Cruz penned in a statement sent to media constituents on Nov. 17. “It has been brought to my attention that many of the members of the Pahrump community were not served in a timely manner or were turned away last night after a very long wait in the COVID-19 car line.

“I apologize for this undeniably deleterious situation last night,” Cruz wrote. “I hope to be able to atone for our mistake. It was never our intention to mishandle the privilege to serve this wonderful community. We simply ran out of test swabs. We have recognized our mistakes made and are preparing for a better, well-managed, and planned-out approach for testing from here on out. Again, please accept my deepest apology and allow us to amend this important friendship with the citizens of Pahrump.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit Nevada and demand for the tests that detect the virus was continuously outpacing the availability of testing supplies, communities all across the state were scrambling to establish reliable testing resources. It was at this critical time that Serenity Health stepped up to partner with Nye County to ensure those who call Pahrump and the surrounding areas home would have a place they could go to receive COVID-19 testing.

The partnership came as a result of Serenity Health’s already established familiarity with Nye County, as the company is the contracted medical provider for the Nye County Detention Centers operated by the Nye County Sheriff’s Office. Cruz decided to approach the lab Serenity Health uses, Chemisys Laboratory, and the sheriff’s office with the idea of setting up drive-up testing in Pahrump and the first tests administered through this partnership were conducted in late March. Since that time, Serenity Health has conducted thousands of COVID-19 tests and has played a valuable part in the local response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Drive-up testing through Serenity Health is now available three days per week in Pahrump. There is no need to pre-register. Residents can simply show up in their cars to 2280 E. Calvada Blvd., Suite 301 Monday nights from 7 to 9 p.m. or, if early hours are preferable, in the mornings on Wednesdays and Fridays from 7 to 9 a.m. to receive a test. People are asked to bring their ID as well as their medical insurance card, if they have it. Those without medical insurance will still receive a test. As a reminder, this is drive-up testing only and residents are asked to remain in their vehicles the entire time.

Additional testing resource information, as well as various other information related to the pandemic, can be found online at www.nyecounty.net by clicking on the “COVID-19 Info” link at the bottom of the page.

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com