Project Grant H79TI086830

MINORITY HIV INITIATIVE OF KANSAS CITY: A SYNDEMIC APPROACH - KANSAS CITY CARE CLINIC DBA KC CARE HEALTH CENTER (KC CARE) SEEKS TO EXPAND THE BREADTH AND DEPTH OF OUR HIV SERVICES THROUGH FUNDING FROM SAMHSA'S "MINORITY AIDS INITIATIVE: SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER TREATMENT FOR RACIAL/ETHNIC MINORITY POPULATIONS AT HIGH RISK FOR HIV/AIDS." AS A RYAN WHITE RECIPIENT SINCE 1993, KC CARE POSSESSES BOTH THE EXPERIENCE AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE NECESSARY TO ENSURE SUCCESSFUL STEWARDSHIP OF THE FUNDS REQUESTED. THIS AWARD WILL SUPPORT ON-SITE RAPID HIV AND HEPATITIS C TESTING, CONDUCTED BOTH IN OUR CLINICAL SPACES AND ON A WALK-IN BASIS BY PREVENTION SPECIALISTS. HEPATITIS B TESTING WILL BE AVAILABLE THROUGH OUR CLINIC. AS INJECTION DRUG USE IS A MAJOR CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO HIV AND VIRAL HEPATITIS, KC CARE WILL FOCUS THIS WORK ON PATIENTS WHO ACCESS OUR HARM REDUCTION SERVICES, PARTICULARLY THOSE WHO IDENTIFY AS BLACK, INDIGENOUS, OR PEOPLE OF COLOR (BIPOC) AND/OR LGBTQ+. KC CARE ALSO CONDUCTS TESTING ON AN OUTREACH BASIS AT NUMEROUS COMMUNITY LOCATIONS, INCLUDING SHELTERS FOR THE UNHOUSED, LONG-TERM STAY HOTELS, PUBLIC LIBRARIES, CHARITABLE NUTRITION ORGANIZATIONS, AND MORE. PEOPLE WHO TEST REACTIVE AT KC CARE, DURING AN OUTREACH EVENT, OR AT ONE OF OUR PARTNER TESTING SITES WILL IMMEDIATELY BE PUT INTO CONTACT WITH A LINKAGE-TO-CARE COORDINATOR. LINKAGE-TO-CARE COORDINATORS ARE AVAILABLE 24/7 AND RESPOND IN REAL TIME TO NEW DIAGNOSES OF HIV AND ENSURE PATIENTS WHO TEST REACTIVE ARE LINKED TO CONFIRMATORY TESTING. WHEN AN HIV DIAGNOSIS IS CONFIRMED, THE LINKAGE-TO-CARE COORDINATOR PROVIDES ALL NECESSARY REFERRALS FOR MEDICAL CARE, CONNECTS THE PATIENT TO A PEER EDUCATOR, AND PROVIDES INTENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT FOR THE FIRST 90 DAYS AFTER THE PATIENT'S DIAGNOSIS. KC CARE'S LINKAGE-TO-CARE COORDINATORS WORK TO ENSURE PEOPLE NEWLY DIAGNOSED ARE LINKED TO CARE WITHIN 30 DAYS; HOWEVER, KC CARE'S RAPID START PROGRAM ENSURES MANY PEOPLE LEAVE OUR FACILITY WITH ANTIRETROVIRAL MEDICATION THE SAME DAY THEY TEST REACTIVE. THIS EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE DRAMATICALLY INCREASES THE LIKELIHOOD THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE NEWLY DIAGNOSED WILL BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE VIRAL SUPPRESSION QUICKLY. ONCE SOMEONE NEWLY DIAGNOSED WITH HIV COMPLETES THEIR FIRST 90 DAYS OF TREATMENT, THEY WILL TRANSITION TO ONE OF KC CARE'S MEDICAL CASE MANAGERS. CASE MANAGERS ARE ASSIGNED TO BEST MEET THE NEEDS OF EACH INDIVIDUAL PATIENT. BOTH LINKAGE-TO-CARE COORDINATORS AND CASE MANAGERS ALSO HELP PATIENTS ACCESS ORAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE THROUGH KC CARE, AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CONSULTANTS RESPOND IN REAL TIME TO PATIENTS WITH AND WITHOUT HIV WHO EXHIBIT SIGNS OR DISCLOSE SYMPTOMS DURING MEDICAL AND DENTAL APPOINTMENTS. KC CARE'S THERAPISTS ARE EXPERIENCED AT PROVIDING TREATMENT FOR PATIENTS WHO WISH TO DECREASE OR DISCONTINUE THEIR SUBSTANCE USE, AND WE ARE WORKING TO INCREASE THE AVAILABILITY OF MEDICATION-ASSISTED TREATMENT FOR OPIOID USE DISORDER. THOSE WHO TEST REACTIVE FOR VIRAL HEPATITIS WILL SIMILARLY RECEIVE REFERRALS TO KC CARE'S PRIMARY CARE PROGRAM FOR TREATMENT. KC CARE OPERATES ONE OF THE MOST ROBUST VIRAL HEPATITIS TREATMENT CLINICS IN THE REGION. PATIENTS WHO ATTEND CLINICAL VISITS AT KC CARE AND DO NOT HAVE HIV BUT DISCLOSE BEHAVIORS THAT INCREASE THEIR LIKELIHOOD OF ACQUIRING HIV WILL BE REFERRED TO THE PREP NAVIGATOR. THE PREP NAVIGATOR WILL RESPOND IN REAL TIME WHENEVER POSSIBLE. KC CARE STAFF ARE ALSO KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT PEP AND CAN LINK PATIENTS TO MEDICATION QUICKLY THROUGH OUR ON-SITE PHARMACY. THIS STATUS-NEUTRAL APPROACH ENSURES PATIENTS WHO VISIT KC CARE WILL RECEIVE THE KNOWLEDGE AND CARE NECESSARY TO LIVE A HEALTHY AND FULFILLING LIFE, WITH OR WITHOUT HIV. THIS IS CRITICAL TO "ENDING THE HIV EPIDEMIC," A PRIMARY CONCERN OF KC CARE, AS MISSOURI IS LISTED AS ONE OF THE PRIMARY JURISDICTIONS.