Affinity Empowering Enrolls First Programs in Rhode Island for No-Cost COVID-19 Tests Through Operation Expanded Testing

Affinity Empowering, Inc., a leading provider of the most sophisticated and secure occupational, behavioral, and direct-to-consumer health services, today announced that the West End Community Center (WECC) in Providence has been enrolled in Operation Expanded Testing (OET). WECC is the largest organization and the first to officially enroll in the state of Rhode Island. OET is a federally funded program to provide no-cost, "click and go" COVID-19 surveillance testing to K-12 schools, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), summer school programs, correctional facilities, homeless shelters, select non-profit community centers, and more.

WECC is a non-profit, community organization serving the Providence neighborhoods of the West End, Elmwood, and Upper and Lower Southside. COVID-19 testing for community members will be available weekly, beginning this Friday, August 20, as part of the local "Fresh Food Friday" event.

Media Invitation 

Media representatives are invited to the WECC grounds this Friday, August 20, from 10 AM to 2 PM, to cover WECC's enrollment into the federal OET program. The testing will be integrated into WECC's "Fresh Food Friday" event, which provides fresh food to the community. WECC staff and community members tested for COVID-19 under OET will be available for interviews and news footage.

"We are always looking for ways to keep our community safe. The availability of free COVID-19 testing gives us information about positivity rates right here in our community. Having this knowledge can inform our community events and bring peace of mind to individuals," said Denise Greene, Executive Director of WECC. "We're grateful to be a part of Operation Expanded Testing and look forward to doing our part for the community."

"At a time where COVID-19 case numbers are on the rise due to the contagious Delta variant, one of the best things we can do to stay safe is to get tested for COVID-19 regularly," said Michael Tkach, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Behavioral Health Officer of Affinity Empowering. "Operation Expanded Testing is a great program because it goes beyond providing money for COVID-19 testing and actually provides the materials and training needed to implement a testing program. We are glad that WECC has enrolled in Operation Expanded Testing and hope more organizations follow suit."

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.