Testing

If you believe you have been exposed to COVID-19 and develop a fever and symptoms, such as cough or difficulty breathing, please call your healthcare provider for medical advice and self-isolate. Refer to the CDC’s guidance if you are sick with COVID-19 or think you might be.

If you have mild symptoms: Self-isolate. Symptoms may include a combination of cough, body aches, fatigue, and chest tightness, with or without fever.

If you have more definite COVID-19 symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath): Self-isolate and seek medical advice by contacting your healthcare provider, Urgent Care, or visit a Viral Triage Clinic. Call ahead before seeking in-person care. Your provider may recommend you be tested for COVID-19 and will be able to instruct you on how to get a test.

Call your primary physician or Urgent Care:
If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, call ahead to your primary care provider, Urgent Care, or a Viral Triage Clinic.

Diagnosis:
Whether or not you are diagnosed with COVID-19, your treatment will be the same if hospitalization is not needed. Work with your health care provider to most effectively treat your symptoms and follow instructions provided to you for staying at home and isolated.

This video explains what contact tracing is and how it can mitigate further spread.

To understand how you will know if a close contact of yours tests positive for COVID-19, jump to minute 3:34.

We are happy to announce that beginning on July 29, 2020, the Gallatin City-County Health Department will be participating in a pilot launch of an innovative new tool called Sara Alert, to support our monitoring and reporting of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Sara Alert is a standards-based, open source tool that will allow us to efficiently monitor individuals at risk for COVID-19, enabling real-time insights and increased reporting capability to support containment of the virus. The tool allows individuals, who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or potentially exposed to the virus, to report daily symptoms through web, text, email, and robocall. We see this as a force multiplier and an opportunity to apply our time more efficiently to follow-up and coordinate care where most needed.

Learn more about Sara Alert here.

Not everyone needs to be tested for COVID-19. Here is some information that might help in making decisions about seeking care or testing.

• Most people have mild illness and are able to recover at home. Follow the self-isolation guidelines if you are sick.
• There is no treatment specifically approved for this virus.
• Testing results may be helpful to inform decision-making about who you came in contact with before your symptoms presented, and once you felt ill.

Symptomatic testing is available at CHP in West Yellowstone:

11 Electric St, West Yellowstone, MT 59758
Phone: (406) 646-9441
Website: https://chphealthmt.org/

Those seeking asymptomatic testing will need to visit Bozeman Health’s Viral Triage Clinic in Big Sky.

Access the Bozeman Health COVID-19 Hotline by (406)414-2619 or calling any Bozeman Health hospital or clinic phone number and asking for or selecting the COVID-19 Hotline option from the phone tree. Hotline hours are weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and weekends from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Drive-Thru COVID-19 Test Sites are for patients with an existing order from a provider. At Drive-Thru COVID-19 Test Sites, patients remain in their vehicles and an observed self-collected nasal swab will be administered for COVID-19. 

There are currently three Drive-Thru Test Sites:

1. Bozeman Health Deaconess Hospital (Lot H)
   • Hours: Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
2. Bozeman Health Belgrade Clinic + UrgentCare
   • Hours: Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. | weekends 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
3. Big Sky Medical Center
   • Hours: Every day, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

If an individual doesn’t have an order, they should contact their healthcare provider, visit a Viral Triage Clinic, or contact the COVID-19 Hotline to obtain an order before showing up at a test site. Individuals without an order will be directed to an appropriate care site to obtain one.

The Viral Triage Clinics (VTCs) are the locations where individuals with respiratory and/or viral symptoms will be evaluated and treated. You will be routed through the VTC if:

• You arrive at a Bozeman Health care site with fever and/or or respiratory symptoms.
• You are told by your primary care provider to visit a VTC.
• You arrive at a VTC.
• You have an existing order from a medical provider for SARS-CoV-2, strep test, pertussis test, and/or require a NP swab for additional viral testing.

Hours/Location

Deaconess Hospital in Bozeman (entrance 4)
Open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Open Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon.

Big Sky Medical Center (main entrance)
Open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon.

Belgrade Clinic (main entrance)
Open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Open weekends from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

b2 UrgentCare Main Street in Bozeman
Open every day from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

b2 UrgentCare (1006 W Main St, Bozeman) and Bozeman Health Belgrade Clinic Urgent Care (206 Alaska Frontage Rd, Belgrade) are open and able to care for your urgent care needs.

Nova Urgent Care (862 Harmon Stream Blvd #101, Bozeman) is providing a rapid antigen test.  The test is accurate when a person is symptomatic.