Cooperative Agreement NU62PS924656

COMPREHENSIVE HIV DATA TO CARE(DC2) INTERVENTION IN SUBURBAN MARYLAND - PROJECT ABSTRACT SUMMARYHEART TO HAND, INC (H2H) IS SEEKING $470,000 PER YEAR FOR FIVE YEARS TO STRENGTHEN OUR ABILITY TO END THE HIV EPIDEMIC THROUGH A STRONG, EFFECTIVE, DATA-TO-CARE INITIATIVE THAT IS A CLEAR PATH OF DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT, PREVENTION AND RESPONSE ACTIVITIES FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV OR AT RISK OF ACQUIRING HIV IN SUBURBAN MARYLAND WITH A FOCUS ON PRINCE GEORGE?S COUNTY. HAVING PROVIDED HIV SERVICES IN THE REGION FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS, WE ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE VARIOUS CARE AND PREVENTION INTERVENTIONS. WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY PROVIDED HIV CARE TO MORE THAN 200 PEOPLE PER YEAR, HIV SCREENING FOR MORE THAN 1200 ANNUALLY AND OUTREACH TO MORE THAN 4000 ANNUALLY. MARYLAND WAS RANKED SIXTH AMONG THE U.S. STATES AND TERRITORIES IN HIV DIAGNOSIS RATES IN 2018. THE SUBURBAN REGION OF THE STATE INCLUDING PRINCE GEORGE?S AND MONTGOMERY COUNTIES ARE LISTED AMONG THE 50 LOCAL AREAS THAT ACCOUNT FOR MORE THAN HALF OF THE NEW HIV DIAGNOSIS IN THE COUNTRY. PRINCE GEORGE?S COUNTY, OUR HOME BASE, LEADS THE STATE IN NEW HIV DIAGNOSIS. UNLIKE THE SURROUNDING AREAS, ALMOST HALF THE NEW HIV CASES IN PRINCE GEORGE?S COUNTY (41%) REPORT HETEROSEXUAL CONTACT AS THE MODE OF TRANSMISSION. WHEN YOU OVERLAY THIS WITH THE INCREASING STI RATES AMONG BLACK/AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN AND WOMEN IN THE SAME AGE GROUP, IT IS EVIDENT THAT THERE IS AN UNMET NEED OF GENERAL SEXUAL HEALTH EDUCATION AND ACCESS TO APPROPRIATE AND FOCUSED SERVICES FOR THIS POPULATION. THIS, IN ADDITION TO THE STIGMA AROUND HIV IN THE SUBURBAN REGION, MEANS MANY OF THE FOCUS POPULATION DO NOT SEE THEMSELVES AT RISK. USING THE DATA-TO-CARE APPROACH, WE INTEND TO FIRST START WITHIN OUR CLIENT BASE TO REACH OUT AND RECAPTURE CLIENTS THAT NEVER MADE IT TO CARE OR HAVE FALLEN OUT OF CARE, AS WELL AS THOSE WHO HAVE CD4 COUNTS THAT FALL AND VIRAL LOADS THAT CLIMB SUDDENLY. THIS APPROACH WILL ALSO ALLOW US TO STRENGTHEN AND EXPAND OUR PARTNER SERVICES EFFORTS TO REACH MORE PEOPLE WHO MAY HAVE BEEN EXP OSED, GET THEM TESTED AND INTO CARE IF POSITIVE, OR CONNECTED TO PREP IF NEGATIVE. IT WILL ALSO ALLOW US TO DO MORE STI TESTING AND TREATMENT AND SEXUAL HEALTH EDUCATION. CLIENTS WHO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM WILL BE SUPPORTED THROUGH TWO INNOVATIVE APPROACHES: OUR SEXUAL HEALTH IN EVERYTHING (S/HE) CAMPAIGN AND THE HEALTHCONNECT PROGRAM. BOTH APPROACHES INVOLVE TRAINED LINKAGE TO CARE NAVIGATORS THAT WILL UTILIZE AT LEAST TWO NON-STATUS BASED, CDC-APPROVED BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS TO LINK CLIENTS TO CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE CARE. THE PROJECT WILL TEST AT LEAST 300 PEOPLE PER YEAR FOR HIV, 90% WILL BE LINKED TO HIV CARE, 70% TO PREP, AND H2H WILL BE BETTER POSITIONED TO ASSIST THE LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS WITH AN HIV CLUSTER RESPONSE.GIVEN THE CURRENT PANDEMIC, WE WERE HIT HARD WITH COVID CASES AND A PROLONGED LOCKDOWN. WE ANTICIPATE THAT OUR WORK WILL BE CUT OUT FOR US AS MANY IN OUR FOCUS POPULATION ARE DEALING WITH AN OVERALL SHORTAGE OF RESOURCES. HOWEVER, WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT THROUGH THIS FOCUSED STRATEGY, WE WILL MAKE MEASURABLE PROGRESS IN OUR AREA?S PLAN TO END THE HIV EPIDEMIC. EACH ENCOUNTER WITH A CLIENT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE THE TIDE OF HIV AND STI INFECTIONS IN OUR REGION.