Date of Graduation

Spring 6-19-2017

Document Access

Project/Capstone - Global access

Degree Name

Master of Public Health (MPH)

College/School

School of Nursing and Health Professions

First Advisor

Erin Grinshteyn

Second Advisor

Courtney Keeler

Abstract

Previous work on HIV retention improvement has focused on improving access to care for communities who are either at-risk of falling out of care or who have difficulty engaging in medical care for the first time due to socio-cultural barriers. The San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH), with the support of Project PRIDE, a CDC three-year demonstration project geared towards supporting health departments in implementing public health strategies to reduce new HIV infections within the men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender communities, is seeking to improve HIV patient retention throughout the San Francisco Community Health Network (CHN). The Retention in Health Pilot Project at Tom Waddell Urban Health Center was developed as a model for Project PRIDE, and as a response to the Health Center’s current Clinical Quality Improvement (CQI) plan to improve HIV patient data capturing and reporting, and the HIV patient’s experience. A pilot project within the CHN was developed using academic detailing methods as a means of demonstrating the usefulness of retention work both in patient health outcomes and clinic reporting on HIV measures of care required by the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program. The Retention in Health program promotes monthly panel management to identify patients in need of a viral load draw, drop-in visits with nurse staff to increase accessibility to primary care, and care navigation to support in the reconnecting of out of care or lost-to follow-up patients. The program was implemented in April 2017 and is currently in progress in the health center through the support of clinic staff and a capacity building specialist from Asian and Pacific Islander Health Forum.

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