Georgia State University awarded funding to launch Health on Wheels Mobile Clinic

ATLANTA — Georgia State University’s Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions (CNHP) announced today that it has been awarded $1,350,000 in federal funding to launch GSU Health on Wheels, a pioneering mobile health clinic designed to advance health equity for underserved and high‑risk communities across metro Atlanta.

Funded through Congressionally Directed Spending, the GSU Health on Wheels initiative will create a fully equipped mobile clinic that delivers essential health screenings, immunizations and risk‑reduction services directly to populations facing the greatest barriers to care, including individuals experiencing homelessness, uninsured young adults, refugee communities and pregnant women at risk for preventable conditions.

The project represents a robust interprofessional collaboration within CNHP, engaging faculty and students from nursing, nutrition, physical therapy and occupational therapy. The mobile clinic will aim to operate in partnership with key clinical and community organizations with a goal of increasing access to quality health care service for communities surrounding Metro Atlanta.

“GSU Health on Wheels will allow us to meet communities exactly where they are,” said Dean Huanbiao Mo of the Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions. “This grant empowers our faculty, students and partners to reduce longstanding health disparities through direct, consistent, and community‑driven outreach.”

The initiative addresses critical gaps in both community service and nursing education. While Georgia faces rising rates of communicable diseases such as hepatitis A, B, and C, and chronic illnesses like hypertension and diabetes, many affected residents lack access to preventive care. At the same time, limited availability of community‑based clinical placements has restricted students’ opportunities to gain hands‑on experience addressing social determinants of health.

The mobile clinic will launch following vehicle procurement, staffing, and the formation of a Health on Wheels Advisory Board and Planning Committee. Once operational, GSU Health on Wheels is expected to serve 50–100 individuals per clinic event, providing services such as infectious disease screening, immunizations, perinatal health assessments, chronic disease monitoring and health education.

Beyond expanding access to care, the program will offer transformative experiential learning opportunities for CNHP students, preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals to serve diverse communities with compassion, cultural competence and clinical expertise.

Georgia State University will continue pursuing additional grants and partnerships to ensure the long‑term sustainability of the program