Project Grant H8H46188

FY 2021 ENDING THE HIV EPIDEMIC - PRIMARY CARE HIV PREVENTION - PROJECT TITLE: ENDING THE HIV EPIDEMIC - PRIMARY CARE HIV PREVENTION (PCHP) APPLICANT ORGANIZATION NAME: ACCESS FAMILY HEALTH SERVICES, INC. (H80CS00633) ADDRESS: 63450 HWY. 25 NORTH; SMITHVILLE, MS 38870 PROJECT DIRECTOR: MARILYN SUMERFORD PHONE NUMBER: 662-651-4686 FAX: 662-651-4686 EMAIL ADDRESS: MSUMERFORD@ACCESSFHS.COM WEBSITE: WWW.ACCESSFHS.COM FEDERAL FUNDING REQUEST: $325,000 ACCESS FAMILY HEALTH SERVICES (ACCESS), LOCATED IN SMITHVILLE, MS, WAS CHARTERED IN 1978 WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF EXPANDING THE AVAILABILITY AND IMPROVING THE DELIVERY OF MEDICAL, DENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES. THE ORGANIZATION HAS GROWN FROM ONE CLINIC TO FIVE MEDICAL CLINICS, A DENTAL CLINIC, AND TEN SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH CLINICS. ACCESS PROVIDES PRIMARY HEALTH CARE SERVICES IN CHICKASAW, ITAWAMBA, LEE, MONROE, AND PONTOTOC COUNTIES IN MISSISSIPPI AND CONTIGUOUS COUNTIES IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA. THE ESTIMATED POPULATION OF THE SERVICE AREA IS 280,950. THE PURPOSE OF THE ENDING THE HIV EPIDEMIC - PRIMARY CARE HIV PREVENTION (PCHP) PROJECT IS TO EXPAND HIV PREVENTION SERVICES THAT DECREASE THE RISK OF HIV TRANSMISSION IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES IN SUPPORT OF ENDING THE HIV EPIDEMIC IN THE U.S. THE INITIATIVE INCLUDES FOUR STRATEGIES: DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT, PREVENTION, AND RESPONSE. ACCESS WILL FOCUS ON DIAGNOSING PEOPLE WITH HIV AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE AFTER TRANSMISSION, RAPID TREATMENT TO REACH SUSTAINED VIRAL SUPPRESSION, AND PREVENTION OF NEW HIV TRANSMISSION BY USING INTERVENTIONS, INCLUDING PRE-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS (PREP). THE OVERALL GOAL IS A 75% REDUCTION IN NEW HIV INFECTIONS IN 5 YEARS AND AT LEAST A 90% REDUCTION IN 10 YEARS, BUT FOR ACCESS THE FIRST STEP IS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS BEING SCREED FOR HIV. ACCESS HAD A JOINT COMMISSION SITE VISIT IN OCTOBER 2021 WITH REACCREDITATION AND PRIMARY CARE MEDICAL HOME RECOGNITION THROUGH JCAHO. THE ORGANIZATION ALSO RECEIVED HRSA'S GOLD BADGE FOR QUALITY IN 2021, RANKING IN THE TOP 10% OF HEALTH CENTERS NATIONALLY. THIS SAME ATTENTION TO QUALITY WILL BE USED IN HIV SCREENING, TREATMENT, AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. ACCESS SERVED 8,768 PATIENTS WITH 32,317 VISITS IN 2020. CURRENTLY THE ORGANIZATION IS AT 97% OF ITS PATIENT TARGET OF 10,852, WITH PLANS TO EXPAND SITES AND SERVICES IN 2022. ACCESS WILL CONTINUE TO ADVANCE ITS MISSION OF PROVIDING AFFORDABLE COMPREHENSIVE HEALTHCARE AND EDUCATION FOR OUR COMMUNITIES WITH SUPERIOR SERVICE. THE ORGANIZATION IS COMMITED TO STOP THE SPREAD OF NEW HIV INFECTIONS THROUGH INCREASING THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS SCREENED FOR HIV. ACCESS WILL OFFER HIV SCREENING FOR INDIVIDUALS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 15 AND 65 AND LINK TO THE NECESSARY CARE. TREATMENT OPTIONS WILL BE OFFERED FOR THOSE HIV POSITIVE INDIVIDUALS. PRE-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS (PREP) SERVICES WILL BE PROMOTED FOR THOSE EXPOSED OR AT HIGH RISK FOR EXPOSURE TO HIV. INDIVIDUALS WILL HAVE THE OPTION TO OPT OUT OF SCREENING SERVICES, BUT CLINICAL GUIDELINES WILL BE FOLLOWED. A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER WILL BE UTILIZED TO HELP REDUCE SOCIAL STIGMA BY INCREASING KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS. ACCESS WILL WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH THE COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER ASSOCIATION OF MISSISSIPPI, MS STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, THE MISSISSIPPI AIDS EDUCATION TRAINING CENTER AND NATIONAL PARTNERS TO ENSURE THAT PROGRAM OBJECTIVES ARE ACCOMPLISHED.