Project Grant H8H46190

FY 2021 ENDING THE HIV EPIDEMIC - PRIMARY CARE HIV PREVENTION - PROJECT ABSTRACT - PROJECT TITLE: PRIMARY CARE AND HIV PREVENTION - APPLICANT ORGANIZATION NAME: BETTY JEAN KERR PEOPLE'S HEALTH CENTERS (PHC) - ADDRESS: 5701 DELMAR BLVD, ST. LOUIS, MO 63112 - PROJECT DIRECTOR NAME: MARK SANFORD, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT - CONTACT PHONE NUMBERS (VOICE, FAX): (VOICE) 314.367.7848 (FAX) 314.367.2985 - EMAIL ADDRESS MSANFORD@PHCENTERS.COM WEBSITE ADDRESS: WWW.PHCENTERS.ORG - FUNDING PREFERENCE: H80CS00133 REQUEST A FUNDING PRIORITY FOR $325,000.00 HOW THE PROJECT WILL INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS COUNSELED AND TESTED FOR HIV BETTY JEAN KERR PEOPLE'S HEALTH CENTERS (PHC) WILL INCORPORATE HIV AND STI EDUCATION, COUNSELING, TESTING AND WELLNESS CHECKS AS A ROUTINE PART OF CARE IN OUR TRADITIONAL HEALTH CENTER DEPARTMENTS FOR THE PATIENTS THAT ACCESS PHC FOR HEALTHCARE. WE OFFER THIS SERVICE AS PART OF OUR OB/GYN PROTOCOL THAT WILL EXPAND TO ADULT MEDICINE AND WOMEN'S HEALTH PATIENTS AT EACH SITE. PHC WILL HIRE TWO HIV HEALTH EDUCATORS/COUNSELORS TO BE THE CHAMPION BETWEEN COMMUNITY, PATIENTS AND PROVIDERS. WE WILL COLLABORATE WITH THE LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND CONTRACT WITH AN HIV ASO TO ASSIST WITH OUTREACH AND RECRUITMENT IN REGARD TO CARE AND TREATMENT RESOURCES AS NEEDED. WE WILL DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT PREP AWARENESS AND ACCESS CAMPAIGNS FOR PROVIDERS, NURSES, PATIENTS AND THE TARGETED COMMUNITY. WE HOPE TO ACHIEVE THE PROJECT OBJECTIVES BY INCREASING AVAILABILITY, USE AND ACCESS OF INTEGRATED HIV WELLNESS CARE THROUGH OUTREACH AND PARTNERSHIPS. THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ST. LOUIS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH WILL HELP EXPAND TESTING, IMPROVE FOLLOW-UP, AND ALSO COORDINATE ACCESS TO PREP SERVICES AND LINKAGE TO CARE AND TREATMENT. DESCRIPTION OF HOW THE PROPOSED PROJECT WILL FOCUS ON THE TARGETED GEOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS. THE ST. LOUIS METROPOLITAN AREA IS A HRSA RYAN WHITE TGA (TARGETED GRANT AREA). THE ST. LOUIS TGA IS A COMPLEX BI-STATE REGION OF URBAN, SUBURBAN, AND RURAL COMMUNITIES, ENCOMPASSING 6 COUNTIE S AND THE INDEPENDENT CITY OF ST. LOUIS IN MISSOURI AND 5 COUNTIES IN ILLINOIS. STIS (SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS) HAVE ALWAYS SERVED AS A PRECURSOR TO HIV INCIDENCE. AN EXAMINATION OF THE DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT OF STIS ON THE POPULATION OF FOCUS, ALIGN WITH THE DISPROPORTIONATE INCIDENCE AND RATES OF HIV ON THE POPULATION OF FOCUS. PHC PATIENTS THAT RESIDE IN ST. LOUIS HAVE THE HIGHEST GONORRHEA AND CHLAMYDIA RATES IN THE U.S. AMONG COUNTIES AND INDEPENDENT CITIES, AS WELL AS THE NATION'S FOURTH HIGHEST SYPHILIS RATE. PHC/COLLABORATORS WILL PARTICIPATE IN TARGETED HEALTH EDUCATION AND COUNSELING IN THE HEALTH CENTER AND COMMUNITY TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT PREP AMONG THE POPULATION OF FOCUS. WE INTEND TO PROVIDE CULTURALLY-SENSITIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH HIGH-RISK POPULATIONS TO HELP INTRODUCE HIV PREVENTION OPTIONS TO RESIDENTS AND PATIENTS. WE ALSO INTEND TO ENGAGE NEW PATIENTS BY PROVIDING OUTREACH AND HIV PREVENTION EDUCATION AND SERVICES AS WELL AS PROVIDE TRAINING AND EDUCATION TO PATIENTS, FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITIES ON THE AVAILABILITY OF EVIDENCE-BASED RESOURCES AND STRATEGIES TO PREVENT HIV AND RELATED CONDITIONS. BY INCREASING ACCESS AND AVAILABILITY, WE WILL EXPAND CARE TO THOSE WHO ARE UNDERSERVED AND THOSE WHO CURRENTLY DO NOT QUALIFY FOR RYAN WHITE CASE MANAGEMENT. THE GOAL IS TO REMOVE BARRIERS TO PREP ACCESS AND EMPOWER COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO TAKE ON A PROACTIVE ROLE IN THEIR SEXUAL HEALTH.