# OHDRC Admin Core

> **NIH NIH U54** · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · 2021 · $1,576,328

## Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has created unique challenges for vulnerable populations. As part of the mission of
the OHDRC, we have maintained continuous community engagement and partnerships aimed at finding ways
to reduce the impact of obesity and related chronic diseases. With the advent of COVID-19, we were quickly
able to leverage these long-standing and trusting relationships to learn how COVID-19 was perceived by the
residents of our partnering vulnerable communities. Through ongoing community dialogue, we know that there
are substantial differences in how residents in our partner communities understand and act upon COVID-19
guidance, perhaps contributing to the alarming disparities in COVID-19 outcomes. Overall, residents feel that
COVID-19 is making marginalized communities even more marginalized. In this environment, it is vital that we
find ways to improve COVID-19 testing and follow-up care through collaboration with community partners.
The overall goal of this emergency revision to the OHDRC, COVID-19 Testing Model among Vulnerable
Populations: From Community Engagement to Follow-Up, is to implement and evaluate the impact of a three-
component mobile community-based testing model in improving the access, acceptance, uptake, and
appropriate follow-up. Our unique model combines 1) robust pre-testing community engagement to improve
reach and acceptability of COVID-19 testing; 2) targeted mobile testing located in underserved neighborhoods
to increase access and uptake; and 3) culturally appropriate post-testing participant navigation and follow-up
services to ensure better impact and health outcomes. Strong community partnerships help ensure the
acceptability and sustainability of this effort.
The proposed model is guided by the Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) framework and
integrates a Social Determinants of Health (SDH) approach throughout all aims to strengthen community
engagement, identify areas in greatest need for testing, and enhance navigation services to address unmet
healthcare follow-up and social needs. We will compare the effectiveness of our neighborhood mobile testing
model to the traditional health systems-based fixed testing model. Study findings will provide evidence that
can help improve testing rates and follow-up among vulnerable populations and address stark disparities in
COVID-19 outcomes. The proposed work builds upon an already active demonstration pilot testing project that
provided testing to vulnerable African American and Hispanic residents of Jefferson County, Alabama.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10300184
- **Project number:** 3U54MD000502-18S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
- **Principal Investigator:** MONA N. FOUAD
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $1,576,328
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2003-09-22 → 2023-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10300184

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10300184, OHDRC Admin Core (3U54MD000502-18S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10300184. Licensed CC0.

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