HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (July 2, 2020) – Alabama A & M University (AAMU), Huntsville Hospital and Toyota are developing a mobile health clinic initiative to provide free COVID-19 testing to underserved communities in Madison County. Launching later this year, the mobile medical clinic program has the capacity to test up to 50 people per day for COVID-19 while deployed at neighborhood locations, serving walk-in patients.

“We are grateful for this incredible support and partnership with Toyota and Alabama A&M University,” said David Spillers, CEO of Huntsville Hospital Health System. “Our Health System exists to serve our communities. This partnership enables our organizations to provide vital health care services to our underserved population.”

The collaboration evolved from a partnership established in 2018 between Toyota and Alabama A&M to identify and solve mobility-related community needs. Toyota provided grant funding and Toyota Way training to support a student-led program where assessments and research were conducted to determine the need and develop a solution.

AAMU President, Dr. Andrew Hugine stated that “This initiative is one more of the many outreach efforts on the part of the University to improve the lives of our citizens. Education must be holistic, addressing all factors that contribute to the advancement, including ensuring a healthy populace.”

With COVID-19 testing needs on the rise, AAMU allocated $100,000 of its Toyota funding to Huntsville Hospital Foundation to support the cause, and Huntsville Hospital stepped in to offer clinical services and training for AAMU students in the field.

“Increased testing is vital to slowing the spread of the virus, but not everyone can access current testing sites. For Toyota, mobility is more than just moving people from point A to point B, it’s also about finding better ways to bring critical services to people,” said Dave Finch, Toyota Alabama President. “Bringing together the right partners to better serve the community is something we are continuously looking to do.”

The mobile medical clinic, comprised of two mobile units, will work collaboratively with the City of Huntsville’s COVID-19 response plan and goals to increase local testing options that do not require doctor’s orders. In the future, the unit will have the capacity to provide preventative care and health screening services.

“We thank our partners at Toyota, Huntsville Hospital and Alabama A & M for supporting our community in its response to COVID-19. Adding testing capacity to at-risk populations is important to us as we fight back against the spread of the virus. Collaborations like this are key to developing solutions that will further our efforts to help keep people safe,” said Huntsville Mayor, Tommy Battle.

For more information on the launch and how to schedule, visit Huntsville Hospital’s mobile medical unit website.