Community Partners Come Together
Care Resource Hosts “Community Connections”
On Tuesday, November 12, 2019, Care Resource held the first of many engagement events entitled “Community Connections,” a series that allows like-minded individuals, corporate, non-profit, and government partners to engage in dialogue about local issues and collaborative solutions.
Representatives from Arianna’s Center, Catalyst Miami, The Miami-Dade HIV/AIDS Partnership Strategic Planning Committee, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, and more attended. Dr. Steven Santiago, Chief Medical Officer at Care Resource, and Kira Villamizar, Director of the STD/HIV Program for the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County, presented on the HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Florida.
Over the past 10 years, Villamizar explained, there has been a 4% decrease in HIV diagnoses and a 53% decrease in diagnoses of AIDS in Miami-Dade County.
She continued by expanding on Florida’s plan to eliminate HIV transmission and reduce HIV-related deaths. Components of the plan include Test and Treat (T&T), a program that initiates Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) within 24 hours of an HIV diagnosis for patients who are newly diagnosed or who were previously in care. Secondly, access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis (nPEP). Thirdly, routine HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) screenings in health care settings and priority testing in non-health care settings. Lastly, generating more HIV awareness and community response through outreach.
Dr. Steven Santiago explains the current projects Care Resource is undertaking to end HIV in South Florida.
Dr. Santiago discussed Care Resource’s work as a Federally Qualified Healthcare Center (FQHC) providing affordable care to underserved communities. In order to impact health outcomes, Care Resource targets high-risk areas where the likelihood of transmission is high and access to care is low. Once locations are identified, Care Resource sends mobile HIV testing units to increase screenings and provide education. As a result, there was a 61% increase in HIV testing and the rate of positive diagnoses increased from 1% to 2%, indicating that Care Resource targeted and identified the necessary populations.
Following Villamizar’s presentation, Dr. Santiago illustrated Care Resource’s role in providing quality and comprehensive care despite the social determinants of health that affect the communities it serves. Care Resource staff are trained to address these social determinants through interventions like PRAPARE (Protocol for Responding to and Assessing Patients’ Assets, Risks, and Experiences), ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences), and Trauma-Informed Care. Licensed behavioral health providers identify people who survived various types of trauma, which may increase their risk for several other health issues, including HIV or other STIs.
Dr. Santiago emphasized the importance of increasing the viral suppression rate of Black/Latinx MSM. Care Resource will use outreach and PrEP navigators to engage individuals who are eligible for PrEP or nPEP, and offer pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) at low or no cost.
Care Resource aims to expand its footprint in HIV treatment and diagnoses with the support of other community-based organizations. Through consistent collaboration alongside community-based organizations, local government, and planning committees, the end of HIV/AIDS is near.
About Care Resource:
Care Resource is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization and a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) with four locations in Midtown Miami, Little Havana, Miami Beach, and Fort Lauderdale. The health center provides comprehensive health and support services to address the full health care needs of South Florida’s pediatric, adolescent and adult populations.
For Media Inquiries or additional article information, please contact Jonathan Welsh, Associate Director of Development and Communications at jwelsh@careresource.org
