Project Grant P0649840

RYAN WHITE TITLE III HIV CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING GRANTS - PROJECT TITLE: FY 2023 RWHAP PART C CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM APPLICANT NAME: MENDOCINO COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS, INC. ADDRESS: 1165 SOUTH DORA STREET, UKIAH, CA 85482 PROJECT DIRECTOR NAME: RODNEY GRAINGER CONTACT PHONE NUMBERS: 707 472 4667 EMAIL ADDRESS: MCHC_ADMIN@MCHCINC.ORG WEBSITE ADDRESS: HTTPS://MCHCINC.ORG/ FUNDING REQUEST: $77,153 - IDENTIFICATION OF THE CATEGORY (HIV CARE INNOVATION OR INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT) AND THE SELECTED ACTIVITY. MENDOCINO COMMUNITY HEALTH CLINIC, INC. (MCHC) IS PROPOSING INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT - TELEMEDICINE ACTIVITIES FOR THIS CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY. - A SUMMARY OF THE PROPOSED ACTIVITY AND ITS INTENDED IMPACT (I.E., HOW THE ACTIVITY WILL DEVELOP, ENHANCE, OR EXPAND ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY HIV PRIMARY CARE SERVICES FOR LOW-INCOME AND UNDERSERVED PEOPLE WITH HIV). MCHC'S HIV TWO-COUNTY SERVICE AREA CONSISTS OF MENDOCINO AND LAKE COUNTIES IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA; A RURAL AREA OCCUPIED BY 38.3 PEOPLE / SQUARE MILE, OR APPROXIMATELY 159,000 PEOPLE LIVING IN 5,000 SQUARE MILES (UNITED STATES CENSUS BUREAU, 2022). THIS SERVICE AREA IS CHARACTERIZED BY MOUNTAINS, LAKES, FORESTS, AND COASTLINE WITH A FEW ISOLATED TOWNS SCATTERED IN VARIOUS POPULATION CENTERS, AND WHERE MORE THAN TWO-THIRDS (39.8%) OF THE GENERAL POPULATION HAVE INCOMES AT LESS THAN 200% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY GUIDELINE (FPG). MCHC IS PROPOSING TO UTILIZE RW-PART C CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT FUNDS TO SUPPORT ITS TELEHEALTH EQUITY AND ACCESS FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH (TEACH) PROJECT THAT WILL PURCHASE TELEHEALTH EQUIPMENT AND TRAINING FOR MCHC'S PROVIDER NETWORK, MCHC STAFF, AND INVITED COMMUNITY PARTNER TEAM LEADERS THAT CONDUCT DIRECT HOMELESS OUTREACH SERVICES, STREET MEDICINE AND HIV TESTING THROUGHOUT THE SERVICE AREA. MCHC'S TEACH PROJECT THAT WILL FOCUS ON EXPANDING HEALTHCARE ACCESS FOR ITS 1) EXISTING RYAN WHITE (RW) PATIENTS AND 2) NEWLY IDENTIFIED HIV+ PEOPLE (OR FORMER PATIENTS THAT FALL OUT OF CARE) THAT ARE EXPERIENCIN G HOMELESS AND ARE REFERRED TO MCHC FROM ITS PARTNERS FOR HIV TREATMENT, CARE, AND ENROLLMENT INTO RW PROGRAMS. FOR EXISTING RW PATIENTS, MCHC STAFF WILL CONDUCT IN-REACH, ASSESS TECHNOLOGY NEEDS, CONNECT WITH RESOURCES, AND EDUCATE AND TRAIN PATIENTS ON AVAILABLE TELEHEALTH SERVICES, INCLUDING HOME-VISITS AS NEEDED. ADDITIONALLY, MCHC WILL COLLABORATE WITH LOCAL COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROVIDE DIRECT SERVICES (INCLUDING HIV TESTING) TO PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESS THROUGHOUT THE SHARED SERVICE AREAS. THE TEACH PROJECT WILL PROVIDE TELEHEALTH EQUIPMENT, TRAINING, AND INTERNET CONNECTIVITY TO ITS PROJECT PARTNERS WHO WILL WORK WITH PATIENTS IN THE FIELD WHO CANNOT TRAVEL FOR INITIAL HIV CARE AND WILL CONNECT THEM DIRECTLY TO MCHC RW STAFF, OR A PROVIDER/ SPECIALIST. THERE ARE NOT ANY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IN THE SERVICE AREA WITH A COMPREHENSIVE HIV PROGRAM, AND MCHC AIMS TO HELP PROVIDE THE TOOLS THE OUTREACH TEAMS NEED TO CONNECT NEW AND OUT OF CARE PATIENTS TO IS RWHAP. - THE FUNDING AMOUNT REQUESTED FOR THE ONE-YEAR PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE $77,153 FOR THE 1 YEAR GRANT TERM. MCHC ARE REQUESTING FUNDING PREFERENCE FOR RURAL AREAS.