Ryan White Part C Outpatient EIS Program - Brockton Neighborhood Health Center 63 Main Street Brockton, MA 02301 Project Director Name: Jorgette Theophilis Phone: 508-894-3556 Email: thophilisj@bnhc.org https://www.bnhc.org Funding Requested: Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) Part C Early Intervention Services Program, HRSA-25-003 Designated Service Area: City of Brockton, Massachusetts Brockton Neighborhood Health Center (BNHC) is a non-profit, multicultural, community health center committed to health promotion and disease prevention. BNHC strives to provide care that is linguistically, culturally, and financially accessible. BNHC offers comprehensive health services including primary care, urgent care, obstetrics, gynecology, family planning, mental health, behavioral health, HIV services, social services, substance use disorder treatment, nutrition counseling, nephrology, endocrinology, dental services, and vision care. BNHC has an on-site laboratory and a 340B pharmacy that provides discounted prescription drugs to low-income patients. Additionally, BNHC provides primary care and behavioral health services to the unhoused population through a mobile care unit, effectively addressing access barriers. BNHC offers linkage to care to organizations providing health-related social needs. Brockton, a city located in Southeast Massachusetts has a population of 105,643. BNHC seeks to utilize Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) Part C funding to continue providing Early Intervention Services to the underserved population the Brockton service area. BNHC has received RWHAP Part C funding since 2001, and currently serves approximately 362 persons living with HIV (PLWH). The burden of HIV/AIDS in Brockton far exceeds that in most communities in Massachusetts. Brockton has the second-highest rate (18.9 per 100,000) of HIV diagnosis in the state. The CDC recognizes that Black/African American individuals are disproportionately affected by HIV. In 2021, Black Non-Hispanic individuals accounted for 40% of Brockton’s HIV infections. A large proportion (53%) of PLWH in Brockton are foreign-born, creating additional challenges in navigating the healthcare landscape including facing increased health-related social needs, stigma, and language and cultural barriers. BNHC offers specialized primary care and supportive services for PLWH, including medical care, dental visits, nutrition, adherence support, care management, social services, behavioral health, and a variety of linguistically-accessible support services including transportation. BNHC connects patients to the HIV Drug Assistance Program (HDAP) and has an adherence nurse on staff to improve patients’ compliance with treatment regimens. BNHC develops medical case management plans which incorporate the evolving needs of the service area population. All stages of the HIV care continuum, beginning with initial diagnosis through successful treatment with HIV medication to achieve viral suppression are monitored and evaluated through a robust HIV Quality Improvement process. With continued support from RWHAP Part C funding, BNHC may continue providing much-needed core medical and supportive services to the Brockton service area, through an HIV services network dedicated to addressing barriers to care and improving health outcomes.
