ATLANTA — Georgia State University’s Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions was awarded $1.35 million in federal funding April 30.
The grant will launch GSU Health on Wheels, a pioneering mobile health clinic. It is designed to advance health equity for underserved and high-risk communities across metro Atlanta.
The GSU Health on Wheels initiative is funded through Congressionally Directed Spending. It will create a fully equipped mobile clinic that delivers essential health screenings, immunizations and risk-reduction services.
These services will directly reach populations facing significant barriers to care, including individuals experiencing homelessness, uninsured young adults, refugee communities and pregnant women at risk for preventable conditions.
The project is led by principal investigators within the Lewis College. It represents a robust interprofessional collaboration involving faculty and students from the Nursing, Nutrition, Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy departments within the college.
The mobile clinic will also operate in partnership with key clinical and community organizations. These partners include Grady Health System, Wellstar Health System, Piedmont Health care, Northside Hospital, Children’s Health care of Atlanta, multiple refugee and free clinics, the Gateway Center and the Georgia Department of Public Health.
Huanbiao Mo, Dean of the Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions, highlighted the program’s reach.
“GSU Health on Wheels will allow us to meet communities exactly where they are,” Mo said. “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. 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. This has impacted their ability to gain hands-on experience addressing social determinants of health.
Once operational, GSU Health on Wheels is expected to serve 50 to 100 individuals per clinic event. It will provide 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. These opportunities will prepare the next generation of health care professionals to serve diverse communities with compassion, cultural competence and clinical expertise.
The mobile clinic will launch following vehicle procurement, staffing and the formation of a Health on Wheels Advisory Board and Planning Committee. Georgia State University will continue pursuing additional grants and partnerships to ensure the long-term sustainability of the program.
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