Project Grant P0650239

RYAN WHITE TITLE III HIV CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING GRANTS - CENTRO DE SALUD FAMILIAR LA FE (LA FE) IS A NETWORK OF JOINT COMMISSION ACCREDITED - FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTERS THAT HAS BEEN PROVIDING RYAN WHITE PART C EARLY INTERVENTION SERVICES TO THE US/MEXICO BORDER COMMUNITY OF EL PASO, TEXAS, AND THE EL PASO/WEST TEXAS HIV/AIDS SERVICE DELIVERY AREA (HSDA), SINCE 1990. THE PURPOSE OF THIS INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT GRANT IS TO EXPAND LA FE'S CARE CENTER DENTAL SERVICES DELIVERY-CAPACITY THROUGH THE ACQUISITION OF NEEDED DENTAL EQUIPMENT FOR EXPANDING DENTAL SERVICES CAPACITY. THIS EQUIPMENT, AND A NEW COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP, WILL INCREASE THE CARE CENTER'S CAPACITY TO INITIATE AND SUSTAIN AN ON-SITE DENTAL SERVICE TO PROVIDE MORE EFFICIENT ORAL HEALTH-CARE TO PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV (PLWH). THE PROPOSED DENTAL SERVICES EXPANSION IS ALSO SUPPORTED BY A KEY COMMUNITY COLLABORATION BETWEEN LA FE'S CARE CENTER AND THE WOODY L. HUNT SCHOOL OF DENTAL MEDICINE. THIS RECENTLY ESTABLISHED DENTAL SCHOOL, LOCATED IN EL PASO AS PART OF THE TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES EL PASO CAMPUS, AND LA FE CARE CENTER HAVE ESTABLISHED A PARTNERSHIP TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO PLWH BY SUBMITTING A 2023 RYAN WHITE HIV/AIDS PROGRAM PART F: COMMUNITY BASED DENTAL PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM GRANT PROPOSAL TO THE HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES ADMINISTRATION AS PART OF THIS COLLABORATIVE INITIATIVE. THE RYAN WHITE PART F, 5 YEAR FUNDING OPPORTUNITY, WILL BE USED BY THE DENTAL SCHOOL TO ESTABLISH AN HIV DENTAL-CARE CURRICULUM FOR ADVANCED STUDENTS THAT WILL INCLUDE ROTATION AT LA FE DENTAL SITES FOR HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE SERVING PLWH. THIS COLLABORATION WILL EXPAND THE CARE CENTER'S CURRENT CAPACITY TO PROVIDE ONSITE DENTAL CARE SERVICES. THE COLLABORATION WILL ALSO MAKE A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO GRADUATING DENTISTS ACHIEVING A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE NEEDS OF PLWH, ENHANCING FUTURE DENTAL SERVICES SPECIFIC TO THEIR NEEDS. THE REQUESTED CAPACITY FUNDING WOULD BE USED TO EQUIP AND ESTABLISH THE PROPOSED NEW DENTAL SERVICE A T THE CARE CENTER THROUGH THE PURCHASE OF THE NEEDED EQUIPMENT. BY COLLOCATING A DENTAL SERVICE AT THE CARE CENTER SITE, STAFF WILL BE ABLE TO INTEGRATE THIS SERVICE INTO ITS ONSITE CONTINUUM OF CARE. AS A RESULT, HIV SERVICES COORDINATION CAN BE BETTER MANAGED, REDUCING SCHEDULING CONFLICTS, AND MOTIVATING PATIENTS TO KEEP THEIR DENTAL APPOINTMENTS BY OFFERING SUPPORT SERVICES TO PREVENT MISSED APPOINTMENTS, WHICH IS A BARRIER IN CURRENT DENTAL SERVICE DELIVERY. THE STRATEGY OF THIS APPLICATION AND THE RYAN WHITE PART F PROPOSALS COMBINED, IS NOT ONLY TO EXPAND AND EXPEDITE DENTAL SERVICES DELIVERED TO PLWH, BUT ENSURE DENTAL SERVICES ARE COORDINATED MORE EFFICIENTLY TO ACHIEVE IMPROVED PATIENT HIV OUTCOMES. IN ADDITION, WITH THE EXPERIENCE GAINED AT LA FE, THE POOL OF FUTURE DENTISTS THAT ARE BETTER PREPARED TO SERVE OUR US- MEXICO BORDER REGION WILL INCREASE, ADDRESSING THE SIGNIFICANT DISPARITY OF THE LIMITED NUMBER OF DENTAL PROVIDERS AVAILABLE TO DELIVER APPROPRIATE DENTAL CARE TO PLWH IN OUR HIV SERVICE DELIVERY AREA.