Frederick Douglass Memorial Hall is a part of Washington, D.C.’s Howard University, a private, federally chartered historically Black university. Image: Kelvin Sterling Scott/iStock
Cerner Corp. has joined an initiative to support the efforts of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, or HBCUs, to offer rapid, consistent and affordable COVID-19 testing for students, faculty and staff.
Cerner is partnering with the nonprofit Testing for America and others, including the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and The United Negro College Fund.
Testing for America and its collaborators aim to help these academic institutions develop comprehensive reopening safety strategies, linking them to lab partners and other support.
“Historically Black Colleges and Universities are a vital part of America’s talent infrastructure,” said Cerner President Donald Trigg. “The nationwide effort to provide access to COVID-19 testing holds the promise to be a key pillar of the safe return to campus for these essential institutions. We are excited to have Cerner’s technology help scale this important initiative.”
The effort to support HBCUs comes as communities of color around the nation are disproportionately impacted by the economic and health effects of the novel coronavirus. Cerner reports it interoperable technology can be employed to make sure each COVID-19 test result is reported directly to the student, faculty and staff member, as well as their physicians, for seamless medical care coordination and guidance.
