The goal of this initiative is to develop systems and programs to increase retention and re-engagement in care and increase viral suppression among people living with HIV in San Francisco. Given our local HIV epidemic, we believe that the following individuals should be a focus of our efforts:
- Individuals with co-occurring conditions such as homelessness, mental health issues, and substance use that may challenge their ability to consistently engage in HIV care and treatment
- Youth, African American and Latino men and women, transgender persons, and the uninsured
- Individuals with a pattern of missed appointments or who begin to miss appointments
- Individuals who are not virally suppressed, with a priority on people with low CD4 counts and other co-morbidities
Under the leadership and coordination of a steering group, this work will be achieved by:
- Implementing standards of care for effective retention by providers (e.g., routine update of patient contact information, appointment reminder phone calls, follow-up for missed appointments, check-in calls for high-risk patients, communication with SFDPH surveillance to identify if patients have transferred care or left jurisdiction)
- Assuring that case managers are playing an active role in assuring medical appointment attendance of their clients, and assuring access by case managers to appointment databases
- Creating a comprehensive, citywide linkage program to identify patients falling out of care as early as possible and conduct early follow-up
- Developing a system for better provider-to-provider communication as patients transfer care between clinics and systems of care (public and private)
- Creating a care navigation hotline to provide assistance to out-of-care clients
- Coordinating surveillance data and medical records systems to better support providers and clinics to accurately identify and outreach to out-of-care patients
- Expanding housing, mental health, and substance abuse treatment to support linkage, retention, and re-engagement of patients
- Conducting program evaluation research to identify successful strategies for retention
Retention & Re-engagement Resources
[Fact Sheet] Reconnect with Care: It’s Safe to (Re)Connect with HIV, STI and Hep C Care
Reconnect to care, it’s important that you seek care when you need it, including routine STD testing and HIV viral load monitoring if you are a person living with HIV. All healthcare providers in San Francisco are required to follow specific requirements and best practices to keep you safe. Read more in the fact sheets…
COVID-19 & Living with HIV: Resources from 4/23 Virtual Town Hall
Last Thursday, Getting to Zero SF and Ward 86 @ SFGH co-hosted a Virtual Town Hall on COVID-19 for people living with HIV. The town hall presenters included Dr. Monica Gandhi from UCSF/SFGH Ward 86, Andy Scheer, LCSW from SF City Clinic, and Bill Hirsh, JD with AIDS Legal Referral Panel. The recording of the…
HIV & Health Insurance 101 – online training resource
In collaboration with SFDPH’s Center for Learning & Innovation and support from HIV Health Services and Community Health Equity & Promotion via Getting to Zero, the Frontline Organizing Group put together three, online training briefs covering the basics of: Traditional and Expanded Medi-Cal Medicare Private Insurance obtained from an employer or via Covered CA The…
Retention News & Updates
HIV & Health Insurance 101 – online training resource
In collaboration with SFDPH’s Center for Learning & Innovation and support from HIV Health Services and Community Health Equity & Promotion via Getting to Zero, the Frontline Organizing Group put together three, online training briefs covering the basics of: Traditional and Expanded Medi-Cal Medicare Private Insurance obtained from an employer or via Covered CA The…
Aiming to end San Francisco’s HIV epidemic
Link to full text in the column to the left, under “In the News.”
SF HIV FOG presents poster at 2018 National Ryan White Conference on HIV Care & Treatment
SF HIV FOG’s abstract “Organizing the HIV Frontline Worker Community” was accepted for poster presentation at the December 2018 Ryan White Conference. To download the poster, click here. If you’d like more information about SF HIV FOG, please visit here or contact Dawn Evinger (Dawn.Evinger@prcsf.org)
*UPDATED* ‘Dear Colleague’ Letter – SFDPH offering guidance on several topics related to HIV prevention
Click below to download the full *updated* Dear Colleague Letter. Dear Colleague, We’re writing to share with you recommendations on how to incorporate new developments in HIV prevention and care into your practice. The San Francisco Department of Public Health recommends that you: Screen all sexually active MSM, trans women, and trans men who have…
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