Project Grant H8H46160

FY 2021 ENDING THE HIV EPIDEMIC - PRIMARY CARE HIV PREVENTION - HFBG WILL PROPOSE TO USE PCHP FUNDS TO ACHIEVE THREE OBJECTIVES: 1. INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS COUNSELED AND TESTED FOR HIV 2. INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS PRESCRIBED PREP 3. INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS LINKED TO HIV CARE AND TREATMENT WITHIN 30 DAYS OF DIAGNOSIS. THE HEALTH CENTER WILL ADVANCE PROGRESS ON THE PCHP OBJECTIVES BY IMPLEMENTING ACTIVITIES WITHIN FOUR FOCUS AREAS: - PROVIDER TRAINING TO INCREASE PREP PRESCRIBING, - OUTREACH FOR EDUCATION AND TESTING, - TESTING EXPANSION FOR ALL HEALTH CENTER PATIENTS AND WITHIN THE COMMUNITY; AND - WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE ADDITION OF KEY PROJECT STAFF. PCHP FUNDS TOTALING $325,000 PER YEAR OF THE TWO-YEAR PROJECT WILL SUPPORT HIV PREVENTION ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT FAYETTE COUNTY, KENTUCKY WITH A FOCUS ON THE EHE TARGETED GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION. TO MAXIMIZE PREP ACCESS, THE PROPOSED PROJECT WILL MAKE REASONABLE EFFORTS TO INCORPORATE THE USE OF AVAILABLE MEDICATION ASSISTANCE AND DONATION PROGRAMS, INCLUDING READY, SET, PREP, BEFORE USING PCHP FUNDS TO SUPPORT ACCESS TO PREP FOR HEALTH CENTER PATIENTS. THE PROJECT STAFF TO BE HIRED USING GRANT FUNDS AND INCLUDES A CLINICAL CARE COORDINATOR, A HEALTH EQUITY COORDINATOR AND TWO COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS. AN INTEGRATED CARE, PATIENT CENTERD MODEL WILL HELP US CONSIDER OUR TEAM'S CULTURAL AND CLINICAL COMPETENCE, PATIENTS' BARRIERS TO SEEKING HIV PREVENTION CARE, SUCH AS TRAUMA, STIGMA, AND SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH (SDOH), AS WE DEVELOP THIS PROJECT. COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS WILL BE KEY TO ADDRESSING SDOH INCLUDING ECONOMIC STABILITY; EDUCATION ACCESS AND QUALITY; HEALTH CARE ACCESS AND QUALITY; NEIGHBORHOOD AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT; AND SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY CONTEXT. SDOH AFFECT A WIDE RANGE OF HEALTH, FUNCTIONING, AND QUALITY-OF-LIFE OUTCOMES AND RISKS, HFBG WILL LEVERAGE PCHP FUNDING TO ADDRESS: - EQUITABLE ACCESS TO HIV PREVENTION SERVICES; - OTHER CURRENT AND ANTICIPATED HIV PREVENTION NEEDS IN THE SERVICE AREA AS WE WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS INCLUDING THE UNIVERSITY OF KY'S AIDS EDUCATION AND TRAINING CENTER, BLUEGRASS COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER, AND THE LEXINGTON FAYETTE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT - POPULATION AND SDOH THAT MAY AFFECT ACCESS TO CARE, CONTRIBUTE TO POOR HEALTH OUTCOMES, AND EXACERBATE HEALTH DISPARITIES. OUR HEALTH EQUITY COORDINATOR WILL PROVIDE LEADERSHIP AROUND IDENTIFYING THESE FACTORS AND HELPING DEVELOP STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING HIV PREVENTION SERVICES. IN ADDITION, WE WILL CONSIDER HOW BEST TO UTILIZE TELEHEALTH AND MOBILE UNITS AS KEY COMPONENTS OF THE SERVICE DELIVERY METHOD. HFBG'S STRONG, EXISTING PARTNERSHIPS WITH OTHER HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS AND COMMUNITY-BASED SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES WILL SUPPORT THE HIV PREVENTION PROJECT EFFORTS.