Drexel University, 1427 Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102 Amy Althoff, MD Phone: 267-359-2527; Fax: 215-246-5841; Email: ala95@drexel.edu SUMMARY OF REQUEST: The Drexel University HIV Programs requests $444,457 to continue the provision of comprehensive, coordinated family-centered care to women, infants, children, and youth (WICY) living with HIV. The Partnership Comprehensive Care Practice (PCCP), and the Dorothy Mann Center (DMC) at Saint Christopher’s Hospital for Children are supported by HRSA Part D funds. These programs target under- and uninsured people with HIV in Philadelphia. Without Part D funding, Drexel HIV Programs would not be able to offer comprehensive HIV medical services, including reproductive health care, perinatal care and medical case management, and mental health care to its clients. TARGET POPULATION: The Philadelphia EMA encompasses 3,855 square miles and consists of nine governmental jurisdictions between Pennsylvania and New Jersey. 18,621 people are living with HIV/AIDS in Philadelphia. Between 2018-2020, a total of 1,213 newly diagnosed HIV cases were reported in Philadelphia. Clearly, the need for ongoing HIV primary and specialty care and comprehensive services in our city is significant. The Partnership/DMC clinics have provided co-located services to the WICY population for almost 20 years and has served 870 WICY each year from 2018 through 2020. The patient population of the Partnership include 89% people of color, 35% women and 8.5% uninsured; 86% of women are on Medicaid, Medicare or uninsured. PROPOSED SERVICES: Annually, Partnership/DMC staff expect to provide care to: 55 pregnant or postpartum women with HIV; 80 women with HIV age 25 and older; 165 youth including both teens who acquired HIV perinatally and young men who have sex with men (YMSM); 10 children with HIV and 80 indeterminate infants. Providers and staff are diverse in culture, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality. Clinical expertise is demon
strated through national recognition in the field of reproductive and HIV care with staff on local, state and national committees and councils. The proposed Philadelphia service area includes zip codes 19120, 19122, 19124, 19126, 19133, 19134, 19138, 19140, 19141, and 19144. PROBLEM: In 2020, cis and transgender women in Philadelphia accounted for 29.72% of people living with HIV/AIDS. Youth up to age 24 accounted for 2.5% of people with HIV and represent a staggering quarter of all new infections. HIV is concentrated in poor minority communities and treatment is complicated by co-occurring conditions such as lack of stable housing, substance use disorders, mental illness, trauma, racism, and stigma, all of which have been worsened by COVID-19. Exacerbating the situation is a seriously underfunded public health care system. With the closure of Hahnemann University Hospital, the Partnership/DMC’s services have become even more critical to our patients. Continued Part D funding will allow Partnership/DMC to be able to offer co-located comprehensive HIV medical care and supportive services to WICY clients. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this proposal include 1) Ensuring linkage to and retention in comprehensive, coordinated and family-centered primary HIV medical care; 2) Streamlining transitions of care for the highest priority populations including pregnant women, YMSM, youth (especially perinatal), and patients who are out of care; 3) Eliminating barriers to achieving viral suppression through provision of targeted, specialized services including perinatal medical case management, reproductive and behavioral health services, and adherence support, and thereby 4) Contribute to Philadelphia’s goal of reaching 91% viral suppression in order to begin Ending the HIV Epidemic in our city.