HUNTSVILLE, Ala — Alabama A&M University has teamed up with Toyota and Huntsville Hospital to bring a mobile clinic possibly to your neighborhood. Our team went to the university research station in Hazel Green to talk to the man behind the project. He says, this clinic is almost ready to hit the roads.
Dr. Ernst Cebert, Research Associate Professor with Alabama A&M University and manager of the Hazel Green Research Station says, ”We figure another week or two, we’ll be able to go out into the community to begin to do what we’re supposed to do.”
Improvements are still underway. The clinic is being worked on at a local auto shop. Dr. Cebert says, “We are adding some electronic systems in there for our wi-fi systems. So, wherever we go, we’re able to communicate wirelessly. We are adding some television screens in there so we can do Telehealth with people from various locations around the state. And, we’re adding an awning in front of it so when we’re doing testing, people can drive right in front of it without having to go inside the unit.”
The clinic will be offering COVID-19 testing, but the main focus is to address health issues that plague our communities and need to be closely monitored. Dr. Cebert adds, “To see people for diabetes, high blood pressure or any other preventative situation that we can identify very early before t gets worse in those communities. So, as COVID became an issue, then we simply adapted to the need of this community because of COVID.”
The mobile clinic is estimated to be able to serve at least 50 people a day.
It’ll be at least one or two weeks before the clinic is rolling through your neighborhood. But, Dr. Cebert says you’ll definitely be able to catch the clinic as they assist with some testing services organized by Huntsville Hospital. He adds, “By the 27th of October and definitely the 17th of November, we already have a couple of dates with Huntsville Hospital when we’ll go to a certain location.”
The clinic is also in need of volunteers. If you’re interested, email Dr. Ernst Cebert, Project Director at ernst.cebert@aamu.edu.
THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WAS RETREIVED FROM A PRESS RELEASE SENT BY HUNTSVILLE HOSPITAL ON OCTOBER 15, 2020:
Free COVID-19 testing just became easier with the launch of Alabama A&M’s (AAMU) new mobile health clinic, made possible by a unique collaboration between Toyota, Huntsville Hospital (HH), and the university.
Capable of serving up to 50 walk-in patients per deployment, the mobile clinic will provide testing in local underserved communities.
“Thanks to this initiative with Toyota and Alabama A&M, Huntsville Hospital can continue fighting Coronavirus, not only in our hospitals, but out in our communities,” said David Spillers, CEO of Huntsville Hospital Health System. “The Huntsville Hospital team is proud to work with these excellent partners to provide convenient, free screening opportunities for North Alabamians.”
The mobile health initiative evolved from a 2018 Toyota grant awarded to AAMU in which students were challenged to identify and solve a mobility-related community need.
Realizing the urgent need for more COVID-19 testing options, AAMU allocated $100,000 of its Toyota funding to Huntsville Hospital Foundation, leading to development of the mobile clinic, along with operational support and training for students in the field.
“Finding creative solutions to bring critical services, like health care, to those in need is part of Toyota’s ‘mobility for all’ mission,” said Kim Ogle, Corporate Communications Manager, Toyota Alabama. “The mobile clinic will travel to centralized neighborhood locations such as community centers, churches schools and parks, which allows for easy access.”
As the need for COVID testing decreases, HH will train AAMU staff and students in clinical protocols for preventive health screenings, with the ultimate goal of independent operations.
“’Service is Sovereignty’ is the AAMU adage that drives our service commitment to our surrounding communities,” said Dr. Lloyd Walker, Alabama A&M professor and dean. “Through our partnership with Toyota, Huntsville Hospital will assist in training our students and staff in health screening practices. The intent is to have a trained team that will eventually man the mobile health clinic in providing health care to North Alabamians.”
For more information on how to schedule the mobile health unit, contact: Dr. Ernst Cebert, Project Director, ernst.cebert@aamu.edu.