Patient access representative Bree Wilson, right, and Brandi Riddle, RN, wait for patients at a drive-thru emergency services tent Monday, June 1, 2020, at the Christus Good Shepherd NorthPark Medical Plaza in Longview. (Les Hassell/News-Journal Photo)

East Texans have adjusted to doing almost everything drive-thru style during the COVID-19 pandemic, and now they can even visit the emergency room in their car.

Christus Good Shepherd NorthPark Medical Plaza’s drive-thru emergency system is open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day at the facility at 323 E. Hawkins Parkway in Longview. It opened May 27.

Registered nurse and Clinical Director Frank Parker said the drive-thru service is part of an attempt to define what the “new normal” will look like in a post-COVID-19 world.

“This is more for patient convenience than anything else,” Parker said. “How this is received by our patients will tell us if they want it to be permanent. So far, feedback has been positive, and they like this a lot.”

Emergency Department Medical Director Dr. Faber White said the drive-thru ER is not a COVID-19 testing center, but other medical concerns can be treated.

Those working the drive-thru can perform various exams and treatments, White said. The facility has treated allergic reactions, sore throats, congestion or upper-respiratory issues. Some of the tests include swabbing for a condition such as strep throat or checking blood sugar.

Any type of procedure that needs to be done in a sterile environment or is invasive, such as stitches, is done inside, he said.

But staff being able to see patients outside allows patients to immediately go to a room to be treated, White said.

“Business has been down in emergency rooms across the country, because for two months, we’ve heard everyone needs to stay home,” he said. “I wouldn’t say it’s an effort to draw more business, but it is an effort to address some concerns people may have about getting out in public.”

COVID-19 concerns have caused some people to not seek emergency care they needed, White said. In some instances, people have not gone to the emergency room with chest pains, a sign of a heart attack, he said.

“The reality is, despite what perceptions may be, the emergency departments are the least likely places to get coronavirus of anywhere else in our community,” he said. “But the reality is, there may be that perception there, so we’re trying to combat that.”