Project Grant H8H46161

FY 2021 ENDING THE HIV EPIDEMIC - PRIMARY CARE HIV PREVENTION - PROJECT TITLE: HRSA 22-104 FISCAL YEAR 2022 ENDING THE HIV EPIDEMIC - PRIMARY CARE HIV PREVENTION APPLICANT ORGANIZATION NAME: HEALTH HELP INC. D/B/A WHITE HOUSE CLINICS APPLICANT GRANT NUMBER: H80CS00459 ADDRESS: 1010 MAIN STREET SOUTH MCKEE, KY 40447-7089 PROJECT DIRECTOR NAME: STEPHANIE COURTRIGHT MOORE, MPA, CMPE CONTACT PHONE NUMBERS: 859.626.7700 (P), 859.625.1140 (F) E-MAIL ADDRESS: STEPHANIE.MOORE@WHITEHOUSECLINICS.COM WEB SITE ADDRESS (IF APPLICABLE): WWW.WHITEHOUSECLINICS.COM GRANT PROGRAM FUNDS REQUESTED: $650,000 FUNDING PRIORITY: RURAL & MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED HEALTH HELP, INC. (HHI) WAS FOUNDED IN 1973 BY PHIL CURD, A YOUNG KENTUCKY DOCTOR WHO WANTED TO USE HIS MEDICAL TRAINING TO SERVE KENTUCKIANS MOST IN NEED. HHI NOW OPERATES 9 COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS IN JACKSON, MADISON, ESTILL, ROCKCASTLE, AND GARRARD COUNTIES, KENTUCKY. WITH A LOW-INCOME TARGET POPULATION, HHI SERVES NEARLY 31,000 PATIENTS ANNUALLY. THROUGHOUT THE ORGANIZATION'S NEAR 50-YEAR HISTORY, HHI HAS PRIORITIZED THE DELIVERY OF ACCESSIBLE, COMPREHENSIVE, MULTI-DISCIPLINARY CARE. TO THIS END, HHI'S 323-MEMBER TEAM INCLUDES 14 PHYSICIANS, 21 NURSE PRACTITIONERS AND PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS, 9 DENTISTS, 7 DENTAL HYGIENISTS, 9 LICENSED CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKERS, AND 14 PHARMACISTS. HHI REQUESTS $650,000 IN FEDERAL FUNDING OVER A PROJECT PERIOD OF TWO YEARS TO LAUNCH PROACTIVE MOBILE HIV PREVENTION SERVICES TO DECREASE THE RISK OF HIV TRANSMISSION. RESOURCES FOR HIV DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT, PREVENTION, AND RESPONSE ARE LIMITED WITHIN THE STATE, ESPECIALLY IN RURAL COMMUNITIES ACROSS EASTERN KENTUCKY. HHI PROPOSES TO UTILIZE GRANT FUNDING TO IMPLEMENT A MOBILE HIV TESTING PROGRAM TO PROVIDE INCREASED ACCESS TO TESTING AND COUNSELING, EDUCATION AND PREVENTIVE PRE-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS (PREP) RESOURCES, AND CONNECTION TO AND NAVIGATION OF HIV CARE AND TREATMENT OPTIONS. GRANT DOLLARS WILL SUPPORT THE PROCUREMENT OF A MOBILE CLINIC (VAN) FROM WHICH THE WORK WILL BE CONDUCTED, ONE FTE PROVIDER, NURSE, AND COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER, ALONG WITH EDUCATIONAL TRAININGS, THE EXPENSE OF CONTRACTED PROGRAM SERVICES, AND EQUIPMENT/SUPPLIES TO SUPPORT THE PROJECT. PROVIDING MOBILE ACCESS TO SERVICES IN RURAL COMMUNITIES WILL ELIMINATE BARRIERS TO CARE RURAL PATIENTS TYPICALLY EXPERIENCE AND WILL INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS COUNSELED AND TESTED FOR HIV, PRESCRIBED PREP, AND PROVIDED TIMELY LINKAGE TO HIV CARE AND TREATMENT. HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES HAS IDENTIFIED THE ENTIRE STATE OF KENTUCKY AS AN HIV HOT SPOT AND A TARGETED GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION. PARTICULARLY OF CONCERN ARE THE DENSE DRUG USER NETWORKS. (KENTUCKY PUBLIC HEALTH, NOV. 2019). NEW HIV DIAGNOSES IN KENTUCKY ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE ATTRIBUTED TO INJECTION DRUG USE (IDU), WITH A GREATER PERCENT OF POSITIVE CASES ATTRIBUTED TO IDU OR MALE-TO-MALE SEXUAL CONTACT AND IDU THAN SEEN NATIONALLY (HIV.GOV, APR. 2020). GIVEN THE SIGNIFICANT BURDEN OF DISEASE EXPERIENCED ACROSS THE STATE AND LACK OF HIV RESOURCES AVAILABLE, HHI'S TARGET POPULATION FOR THE PROPOSED PROJECT IS RURAL KENTUCKIANS ACROSS HHI'S SERVICE AREA, WHICH FALLS ENTIRELY WITHIN THE TARGETED GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION. HHI IS FIERCELY COMMITTED TO MEETING HEALTH CARE NEEDS ACROSS OUR COMMUNITIES. OUR ORGANIZATION KNOWS THE IMPORTANCE OF PREVENTION AND EARLY DETECTION AND HOW VITAL THESE ACTIONS ARE IN REDUCING THE RISK OF HIV TRANSMISSION. WE LOOK FORWARD TO PROVIDING MUCH NEEDED ACCESS TO CARE IN RURAL KENTUCKY.