Development and Deployment of a Mobile COVID-19 Testing Strategy to Reach Underserved Patient Populations
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The COVID-19 pandemic required clinicians and healthcare organizations to learn how to adapt to a rapidly evolving landscape of clinical and organizational challenges in order to deliver high-quality and equitable care to underserved patients. We present a description of an highly adaptable COVID-19 mobile testing strategy that was developed and deployed during by Piedmont Health Services (PHS). PHS is a federally-qualified health center serving central North Carolina. PHS’ mobile testing strategy evolved rapidly over the course of pandemic in order to better meet the community’s needs. In conjunction with Gillings School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, we present the results of a review of the mobile testing strategy’s reach to racial/ethnic minorities, low-income and uninsured patients, and other historically underserved populations. This presentation will describe these findings and provide additional insight from Piedmont’s efforts to deploy mobile testing across a number of clinical and community settings.
Authors:
- Ariel Hwang, Medical Student, UNC School of Medicine
- Jan Lee Santos, Associate Director of Training and Clinical Services, Piedmont Health Services
