MUSC Health COVID 19 Specimen Collection Site

You’ve probably heard that necessity is the mother of invention. The same might be said for innovation.

In 2020, COVID-19 was the necessity that catalyzed an unlikely partnership between MUSC Emergency Management, Clemson School of Architecture faculty and students, and an expert from the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. This diverse group came together to hatch a plan to create and widely disseminate knowledge and a blueprint for a drive-through specimen collection site – the first of its kind on the east coast and the first ever to marry telehealth with a drive-through site.

On this page, you will find the detailed, graphically rich plan the students produced in collaboration with MUSC and you’ll hear from the collaborators themselves about the incredibly short project timeline, project challenges and hopes for sharing this valuable document with other organizations and health systems across the country. You’ll also learn how a fast-food restaurant and NASCAR served as inspiration for a truly innovative public health solution born amid a global pandemic.