Friday, May 9, 2025
5/9/2025
Ryan White Part C Outpatient EIS Program - With 43 years of experience and expertise in providing comprehensive outpatient primary health care and support services to uninsured, underserved, low-income persons living with HIV (PLWH) and for having successfully managed thousands of Federal, state, local, and private grants since its foundation in 1875, Meharry Medical College is uniquely poised to implement this project in the heart of the HIV epidemic in Middle Tennessee. As a Ryan White (RW) Part C EIS recipient since 2003, Meharry served 2,134 unduplicated clients 516 PLWH in Tennessee Department of Corrections. To better quench the unmet needs of PLWH in Davidson County, Vladimir Berthaud, MD, MPH, FACP, FIDSA, DTMH, CPH, an international HIV expert with 38 years of experience, created the Meharry Community Wellness Center (MCWC) in 2005. MCWC has been annually designated a Tennessee AIDS Center of Excellence since 2006. It successfully carried out a Special Project of National Significance (SPNS) aimed at improving linkage to care for women of color in 2016-2019. The sub-recipient, Metropolitan Interdenominational Church/First Response Center (MIC/FRC), a faith-based clinic, specializes in intensive, non-judgmental, personalized HIV primary care for the most challenging PLWH in Tennessee, often rejected by other providers because of unsuccessful health outcomes. MIC/FRC had served 592 clients since 2006. In the thirteen counties that make the Nashville Transitional Grant Area (TGA) including Davidson, non-Hispanic Blacks account for 54% of PLWH. Yet, they represent 27% of Davidson County population. While about 39% of the Nashville TGA’s population lives in Davidson County, 76.5% of the PLWH population reside in Davidson County. Of this PLWH population, 20% had been in jail and 42% were homeless/unstably housed at some point in the last year, and 40.2% did not have food to eat three or more days at some point in the last year. Fear of disclosure (50.6%) represents the number one barrier to accessing services (Metropolitan Nashville Health Department). In response to the Minority AIDS Initiative, Meharry Medical College is submitting this application to provide a continuum of comprehensive, patient-centered, and culturally tailored HIV services to 500 low-income, underserved patients of Davidson County, focusing on ending the HIV epidemic and eliminating HIV-related health disparities. Our client population is 77% Black and 42.35% MSM, with excess of uninsured (39.25%), poverty (48.96% below 100% FPL), and incarceration (20%), homelessness (19.2%), and substance use and behavioral disorders (30%), and only 2% having adequate dental insurance coverage. Of 22 clients who died in last three years, 13(59%) were unhoused. The primary target population to be served by this grant is African American with HIV/AIDS living primarily in geographical target areas with the highest concentration of African Americans living with HIV, North Nashville, West Nashville, pockets in East and South Nashville. North Nashville has an incarceration rate of 14%, the highest in the country by far, and 93% of those incarcerated are Blacks. Meharry will utilize Part C EIS funds to provide outpatient primary HIV care, infectious diseases management, mental healthcare, comprehensive primary oral health services including prosthodontics, home and community-based health services, early intervention services, linkage, specialty referrals, and continuous quality management. The project will facilitate seamless access to existing services on site: women’s health, medical case management including treatment adherence, substance use therapy, and Short-Term Rent, Mortgage, and Utility Assistance (STRMU); food pantry, food vouchers, and medical transportation, clinical psychology, psycho-social services, and ambulatory surgery (pre- and post-operative care, proctoscopy, skin biopsy, and wound care), and pharmacy services.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).