Tuskegee Builds COVID Response App with Microsoft 365
About This Project
Tuskegee University
Client
1881
Established in
Tuskegee, AL
Location
Partner Technologies Used
Microsoft 365, Power Platform, Power Apps, Dataverse, Azure Logic Apps, Azure API for FHIR, CareEvolve, Thermo Fisher, RTS app
Project Highlight
Tuskegee built a COVID-19 response app using Microsoft 365, improving campus safety with rapid test results, symptom tracking, and secure data.
Overview
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Tuskegee University faced a critical challenge: how to bring students and faculty back to campus safely in a rural community with no hospital access. Led by public health specialist and attorney Crystal James, and supported by Microsoft and eGroup Enabling Technologies, Tuskegee implemented a secure and user-friendly solution—the Microsoft Return to School (RTS) app—to manage testing, health monitoring, and exposure reporting.
Challenge
“We realized that in order for us to get back to face to face, we needed to have a strategy to protect the learning environment,”
Tuskegee University needed to address multiple urgent concerns:
Lack of testing kits across Alabama’s Black Belt region
Logistical complexity of campus-wide testing
No local hospital or nearby healthcare infrastructure
Anxiety and uncertainty among students and faculty
Need for a secure, easy-to-use app to manage testing, results, and reporting
“The first hurdle we faced was the lack of test kits. So we made our own—for both Tuskegee and the surrounding counties.”
— Crystal James
“With RTS, we now have one tool to schedule tests, send results, and monitor health status on campus.”
Crystal James (Special Assistant to the President for COVID-19 Response, Tuskegee University)
Solution
Homegrown Testing, Powered by Innovation
Tuskegee’s COVID-19 Recovery Management Center (CRMC) began producing test kits in-house and later established a CLIA-certified reference lab for on-campus PCR testing. Thermo Fisher provided instrumentation for lab processing.
Microsoft’s Return to School App
To deliver results and monitor safety, Tuskegee implemented Microsoft’s RTS app using its existing Microsoft 365 and Power Platform investment. Features included:
Self-attestation and symptom tracking
QR-based daily access passes
Test result integration with CareEvolve
Appointment scheduling and test notifications
“eGroup provided the technical expertise to create a system that talked to two existing platforms. That was a huge help for non-IT people like me.”
Integration by eGroup Enabling Technologies
eGroup, a 9x Microsoft Partner of the Year, led the custom development and integration, connecting RTS with Tuskegee’s lab systems using:
Azure Logic Apps for data automation
Azure API for FHIR to enable secure data sharing
CareEvolve’s FHIR interface for PCR lab connectivity
Change Management for Peace of Mind
To reduce friction and ensure adoption, eGroup’s Organizational Change Management team created:
Custom messaging for faculty, staff, and students
Onboarding videos and guides
Consistent communication to ease concerns and lower pandemic-related anxiety
“RTS brings anxiety to a manageable level and creates an environment we can call as safe as possible.”
Results
5-Hour Turnaround from Exposure to Results
Rapid test processing and secure delivery lowered stress, improved decision-making, and helped Tuskegee maintain operational continuity.
Real-Time Dashboards
Tuskegee can now publicly display:
Daily case counts
Total tests conducted
Percent positivity rate
“Through the use of the app, the safety of Tuskegee’s students, faculty, and staff was improved. That’s a gratifying outcome in any situation,”
Why eGroup?
eGroup brought:
Proven experience across higher ed and K-12 (Tuskegee, Howard University, Lake Washington, Kent School District)
Deep Microsoft expertise (Power Apps, Azure, Logic Apps, FHIR integration)
Organizational Change Management support to ensure adoption
Rapid development with API and lab system integration
“eGroup Enabling Technologies provided the technical expertise to be able to create a new system that would talk to the two existing systems.”
Crystal James (Special Assistant to the President for COVID-19 Response, Tuskegee University)
eGroup Can Help You Too!
Explore Our Microsoft Power Platform & Integration Services and see how eGroup helps educational institutions transform digital health, safety, and compliance.
