Project Grant H8H46151

FY 2021 ENDING THE HIV EPIDEMIC - PRIMARY CARE HIV PREVENTION - WESLEY COMMUNITY AND HEALTH CENTERS (WESLEY) [HEALTH CENTER PROGRAM GRANT #H80CS12848-12-00] OPERATES TWO FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTERS (FQHC) IN TWO FEDERALLY IDENTIFIED POVERTY AREAS OF MARICOPA COUNTY. THESE TWO SITES LOCATED IN SOUTH-CENTRAL PHOENIX AT 1300 S. 10TH ST. PHOENIX, AZ 85034 AND WEST PHOENIX, MARYVALE AT 1625 N. 39TH AVE. PHOENIX, AZ 85009 SERVE LOW-INCOME, PRIMARILY HISPANIC, UNINSURED PATIENTS. MORE THAN 70 PERCENT OF WESLEY'S PATIENTS ARE UNINSURED, AND MANY ARE IMPACTED NEGATIVELY BY AT LEAST ONE SOCIAL DETERMINANT OF HEALTH SUCH AS ACCESS TO CARE, FINANCIAL BARRIERS, LACK OF TRANSPORTATION AND FOOD INSECURITY. THE COMMUNITIES WESLEY SERVES IN THESE TWO SITES RELY ON WESLEY TO GAIN ACCESS TO PRIMARY HEALTH CARE SERVICES. WESLEY HAS BEEN IMBEDDED IN EACH OF THESE COMMUNITIES FOR DECADES AND HAS BUILT TRUST NEEDED TO DELIVER CARE TO COMMUNITY. WITH THE FUNDING OPPORTUNITY PROVIDED THROUGH THE FISCAL YEAR 2022 ENDING THE HIV EPIDEMIC - PRIMARY CARE HIV PREVENTION, WESLEY WILL INVEST IN AND HIRE A NURSE CASE MANAGER (RN CM) OR PROJECT LEAD TO LEAD WESLEY'S EFFORTS TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, PREVENT, AND RESPOND TO HIV IN THE COMMUNITIES SURROUNDING WESLEY'S EXISTING TWO LOCATIONS AND A NEW SITE LOCATION (5845 E. STILL CIRCLE SUITE, 104 MESA, AZ 85206) OPENING IN 2022. THIS INCLUDES UTILIZATION OF WESLEY'S LICENSED MOBILE CLINIC AND RELYING ON EXISTING COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION PARTNERSHIPS AND DEVELOPING NEW COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, SPECIFICALLY IN THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY TO LEVERAGE RESOURCES. AS A TITLE X FAMILY PLANNING CONTRACTOR IN ARIZONA, WESLEY HAS ALREADY DEMONSTRATED GREAT SUCCESS IN IMPROVING QUALITY MEASURES RELATED TO HIV TESTING. FOR INSTANCE, WESLEY'S CURRENT HIV TESTING RATE IS 52 PERCENT (N=2,820) FROM NOVEMBER 2020 THROUGH NOVEMBER 2021. THE NETWORK AVERAGE OF WESLEY'S FQHC PEERS FOR THE SAME PERIOD IS 22 PERCENT. ONLY ONE OTHER FQHC HAS A HIGHER SCREENING RATE (53 PERCENT) THAN W ESLEY DURING THAT SAME TIME. THEREFORE, WESLEY SEEKS TO BUILD ON THIS SUCCESS AND INVEST FURTHER IN HIV RELATED SERVICES. WESLEY BELIEVES, THE ADDITIONAL SITE LOCATION, UTILIZING A MOBILE CLINIC VEHICLE, AND INVESTING IN A FULL TIME RN CM OR PROJECT LEAD, WESLEY CAN INCREASE THE HIV SCREENING RATE > 60 PERCENT IN THE FIRST YEAR, > 65 PERCENT IN THE SECOND YEAR; AND INCREASE THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS SCREENED FOR HIV > 4,230 A YEAR THE FIRST YEAR, > 5,640 IN THE SECOND YEAR. WESLEY SEEKS TO INCREASE PREP PRESCRIPTIONS 1,000 PERCENT. LAST YEAR, NO PRESCRIPTIONS WERE MADE. ONLY FOUR CURRENT WESLEY PATIENTS ARE IN ACTIVE TREATMENT FOR HIV. WITH TARGETED OUTREACH AND TESTING, WESLEY EXPECTS TO INCREASE NUMBER OF PATIENTS RECEIVING TREATMENT 100 PERCENT. THE PROPOSED PROJECT WILL INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS COUNSELED AND TESTED FOR HIV, THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS PRESCRIBED PREP, AND THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS LINKED TO HIV CARE AND TREATMENT WITHIN 30 DAYS OF DIAGNOSIS. WESLEY WILL USE FUNDING TO INVEST IN A RN CM OR PROJECT LEAD WHO WILL LEAD ALL THE HIV RELATED ACTIVITIES FOR THE ORGANIZATION AT THREE SITES AND A MOBILE CLINIC. THIS INCLUDES INTERNAL TRAININGS TO PROVIDERS AND STAFF ON RESOURCES, TESTING AND PREP AVAILABILITY; CREATING STRATEGIES, IDENTIFYING PATIENTS AND POPULATIONS TO INCREASE PREP PRESCRIPTIONS; CONDUCTING REGULAR HUDDLES WITH PROVIDERS AT EACH WESLEY LOCATION (3) TO MONITOR PROGRESS MEETING HIV RELATED GOALS; IMPLEMENT CLINICAL SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS AND CHANGES TO BETTER IDENTIFY HIV AT-RISK PATIENTS, OPPORTUNITIES TO PRESCRIBE PREP AND COORDINATE TREATMENT CARE RELATED TO HIV; COORDINATION OF TREATMENT WITHIN 30 DAYS TO ASSURE TREATMENT IS INITIATED AND TIMELY IN DELIVERY; DEVELOP KEY RELATIONSHIPS AND PARTNERSHIPS IN THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY AND AMONG EXISTING HIV ORGANIZATIONS TO LEVERAGE RESOURCES AND IMPROVE OUTREACH; IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ON HIV AND PREP - ITS BENEFITS AND AVAILABILITY; COORDINATE AND