HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — With the number of COVID cases rising, it’s more important than ever for people to have accessible health care. Some big institutions in our area are teaming up to, hopefully, make COVID-19 testing a little bit easier.
Toyota, Alabama A&M University and Huntsville Hospital announced their plans to send mobile clinics out into the community. The goal is to provide care to areas that might be under-served. We got a sneak peak at one of the units.
This all sparked from a 2018 partnership between Toyota and Alabama A&M to address how transportation, or the lack thereof, could impact medical care.
Alabama A&M representatives tell us that COVID-19 testing is a pressing concern, but these mobile clinics will be used to help locals receive care for a number of medical issues.
We spoke with Dr. Ernst Cebert, a faculty member in the College of Agriculture and manager of the Alabama A&M University Hazel Green research station. Dr. Cebert tells our reporter, “When it comes to going to a doctor, when it comes to a very simple concept of their diabetes… It’s very difficult for them to stay ahead of it and manage it.”
These mobile clinics aim to help people do just that. the program won't launch until later this year-- possibly the fall. According to Toyota, the units could test up to 50 people a day for COVID-19, while still serving walk-in patients across the city.