The overall goal of the RAPID (Rapid ART Program Initiative for HIV Diagnoses) program is to create a set of “hubs” around the city where persons newly diagnosed with HIV (or out of care) can rapidly access antiretroviral therapy (ART) and have a smooth transition to their medical home. In order to accomplish this goal, a RAPID steering committee established hub locations, standard operating procedure (SOP) for ART start, and SOP for transition to a primary medical home. The committee works with SF Department of Public Health surveillance (now “ARCHES”) to track the uptake and outcomes of persons participating in the program. We build on the existing LINCS programs at SFDPH to create and support hubs for rapid initiation of ART to individuals.
We start ART:
Within 48 hours –
- If acute/early infection (recent negative Ab test, RNA+/Ab– or recent symptoms of acute retroviral syndrome) or
- Evidence of advanced infection (opportunistic infection or a CD4 count of less than 200)
Within 5 days –
- All other newly HIV-diagnosed persons
The program aims to provide ART for up to 5 days for these individuals until they are transitioned into their medical home.
RAPID Resources
Publications
- *New* Outcomes of Rapid Restart Among People With Previously Diagnosed HIV at a Safety-Net HIV Clinic in San Francisco. JAIDS Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes 100(3):p 256-264, November 1, 2025.
- Development of a Citywide Rapid Antiretroviral Therapy Initiative in San Francisco. AJPM. 2021 November, Pages S47-S54.
- Decreased Time from HIV Diagnosis to Care, ART Initiation, and Virologic Suppression during the Citywide RAPID Initiative in San Francisco. CID. 2020 May 25.
- RAPID ART: High virologic suppression rates with immediate ART initiation in a vulnerable urban clinic population. AIDS. 2018 December 21.
News & Updates
San Francisco Getting to Zero at AIDS 2016
Susan Buchbinder was invited to present in Durban, South Africa at the AIDS 2016 pre-conference UN 90-90-90 Target Workshop on “San Francisco’s Getting to Zero: Accomplishments and Challenges.” The slides from this presentation appear below. SFGettingtoZeroAIDS2016Durban
Early results presented in Durban
An abstract highlighting early results of the San Francisco Getting to Zero initiative was submitted to AIDS 2016 for consideration and was accepted for poster presentation. A link to the poster appears below. http://programme.aids2016.org/Abstract/Abstract/2903
Toronto presentation on Getting to Zero-SF
Shannon Weber gave a talk in Toronto on Collective Impact & Frameworks for Getting to Zero. Slides from her talk appear below. TorontoXCollectiveXImpactXWeber
HIV Care and Prevention Councils Merge
By Mark Molnar, Program Director, San Francisco EMA HIV Health Services Planning Council June 2016 For many years, San Francisco has engaged with HIV prevention and care through a process that includes community members, service providers, and government appointees. Hallmarks of these processes have included the use of evidence based approaches to care and prevention,…