Altru, Alerus Center and the City of Grand Forks Partner To Offer Curbside COVID-19 Testing

Altru is partnering with the Alerus Center to offer curbside COVID-19 Testing beginning Wednesday, November 11.

“We thank the Alerus Center and the City of Grand Forks for allowing Altru to use this space,” said Heather Strandell, Altru’s Incident Commander for COVID-19. “With winter on the way, moving into the Alerus Center will help keep our equipment and our nurses warm.”

This change will help Altru manage increased traffic flow for curbside testing. Altru has processed more than 24,000 COVID-19 tests.

“Altru has gone above and beyond for our community during this pandemic; providing the COVID hotline and curbside testing, not to mention their cutting-edge use of therapeutics for COVID patients,” said Grand Forks Mayor Brandon Bochenski. “With winter approaching, we wanted to ensure that weather conditions would not impact Altru’s testing capabilities and they could continue to provide testing safely and efficiently.”

Anyone seeking a COVID-19 test will be asked to call Altru’s COVID-19 hotline. The hotline is available from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. each day. If a test is ordered, patients will be able to schedule a time that works best for them using MyChart. If a patient does not have MyChart, they will receive a call to schedule a time. Once a patient arrives at the Alerus Center, they will enter through the south end of the building.

“It is important for Alerus Center to continue its mission now more than ever during these times,” said Anna Rosburg, General Manager of the Alerus Center. “This is an excellent opportunity to serve the residents of Grand Forks and work alongside an outstanding community partner such as Altru.”

This change is possible due to the collaboration and teamwork between all the institutional partners throughout the Greater Grand Forks community throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I want to give a big thank you to the teams at the Alerus Center and Altru for working hard to make this partnership successful,” said Mayor Bochenski. “This really goes to show the positive approach and action-oriented mindset between all of our institutional partners.”

About Alerus Center

Alerus Center, a 13,500-seat arena that can accommodate 22,000 for concerts, is the home of the University of North Dakota football team. The multi-purpose arena also hosts family shows, sporting events, banquets, weddings, conventions, and trade shows. Alerus Center features 14-luxury suites and a club lounge, as well as an adjacent 160,000-sq. ft. of convention and trade-show space, including a 26,000-sq. ft. grand ballroom and 12 meeting rooms.

About Spectra

Spectra is an industry leader in hosting and entertainment, partnering with clients to create memorable experiences for millions of visitors every year. Spectra’s unmatched blend of integrated services delivers incremental value for clients through several primary areas of expertise: Venue Management, Food Services & Hospitality, and Partnerships. Learn more at SpectraExperiences.com. Follow Spectra on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

About Altru Health System

Based in Grand Forks, North Dakota, Altru Health System is a physician-led, multispecialty group practice with an acute care hospital, Level II trauma center, specialty hospital, more than two dozen Grand Forks, and regional practice locations, and a large home care network. Altru Health System was the first member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, extending Mayo Clinic knowledge and expertise to the patients we serve. For more information, visit altru.org.