Affinity Empowering, Inc., a leading provider of the most sophisticated and secure occupational, behavioral, and direct-to-consumer health services, today announced that Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) are now eligible to sign up to receive no-cost COVID-19 surveillance testing programs through the federal Operation Expanded Testing (OET) initiative. OET was created in agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in coordination with the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), and Affinity Empowering is coordinating OET program implementation in 26 states and U.S. territories on behalf of Clinical Enterprise, Inc., a Eurofins company.

OET was initially established to provide COVID-19 testing, free of charge, to K-12 schools and other congregate settings. While those institutions remain eligible to enroll, the scope of OET has now been widened to include HBCUs. Affinity will continue its outreach efforts to representatives of all eligible organizations at a time where COVID-19 case numbers are on the rise due to the contagious Delta variant.

"We are thrilled to be able to offer no-cost COVID-19 testing to Historically Black Colleges & Universities as part of Operation Expanded Testing. This is an opportunity not only to expand our surveillance of COVID-19 during a pivotal moment of the pandemic, but to also begin to address historical inequities in access to healthcare options," said Scott Storrer, Chief Executive Officer of Affinity. "We look forward to working with HBCU leaders to ensure that students, faculty and staff have this layer of protection against COVID-19."

About Operation Expanded Testing 

Operation Expanded Testing (OET) is a federally funded program to provide no-cost, "click and go" COVID-19 surveillance testing to congregate settings, including K-12 schools, Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs), summer school programs, correctional facilities, homeless shelters, and select, non-profit community centers. Affinity Empowering, on behalf of Eurofins Clinical, offers the OET program to these institutions in 26 Northeast and Southern states and additional territories. COVID-19 surveillance testing is recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the safe reopening of schools. Affinity and Eurofins are coordinating OET program implementation in agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in coordination with the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD).

Unlike other federal programs to fund COVID-19 testing, OET has no upfront costs nor paperwork. Interested eligible parties can simply visit Affinity's OET website and click the "Enroll Today" button and provide some basic information. Affinity will then provide the resources and training necessary to establish a COVID-19 testing program at your institution. Using the Assure integrated technology platform, Affinity delivers COVID-19 test results with an average turnaround time of 24 hours. 

About Affinity Empowering 

Affinity Empowering is a leading occupational health, population, and disease management life sciences organization that specializes in providing technology-based solutions and support for overall health and wellness endeavors. In addition to providing occupational health, mental health, and cutting edge, wrap around substance use support, the company also has become a major provider of COVID-19 testing. Its Return to Normalcy program provides COVID-19 consultation, support, and conducts thousands of onsite and at home testing options to safely screen, monitor, and test populations. It currently supports numerous business partners in various fields, ranging from government contracts, universities, top Fortune 100 companies, and major film and television production companies.