Sunday, May 25, 2025
5/25/2025
RYAN WHITE TITLE III: EARLY INTERVENTION SERVICES - Project Abstract Summary of Request: We request total RWPC funding of $571,964 to provide high-quality HIV services to adult men over 25-years-old to promote further viral load suppression (VLS), retention in care (RIC), and improve the quality of life of adult men living with HIV in Eastern North Carolina (ENC). The East Carolina University HIV Program (ECUHIVP) is the primary provider to people living with HIV (PLWH) in ENC. ECUHIVP is a "one-stop" clinic that provides HIV medical care, behavioral health services (i.e., mental health and substance use disorders), medication adherence counseling, medical case management, and support services. 2. Target Population: ECUHIVP is in Greenville, NC, and provides HIV services to the most rural counties covered by this application: Beaufort, Bertie, Chowan, Craven, Gates, Hertford, Hyde, Martin, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Pitt, Tyrell, and Washington. However, the clinic serves as the primary HIV medical provider for a 30-county region in ENC. The population of ENC is predominately rural, with disproportionately high rates of HIV disease, poverty, and illiteracy. For example, from 2020-2022, 10 counties in ENC exceeded the state HIV disease newly diagnosed three-year average rate of 14.4 cases per 100,000. Seven of the 10 counties were in our RWPC grant catchment area, including Beaufort, 16.2 cases per 100,000, Lenoir, 14.5 cases per 100,000, Martin, 32.1 cases per 100,000, Pasquotank, 14.5 cases per 100,000, Pitt, 19.9 cases per 100,000, Washington, 17.7 cases per 100,000, and Wayne, 15.8 cases per 100,000. Surveillance data indicated that Martin County had the highest rate out of 100 counties in the state. In 2023, ECUHIVP provided HIV services to 1860 PLWH, 1027 were adult men 25 years of age and older, of which 837 were Black/African American men, and 45% live below 100% - federal poverty level (FPL). We have also identified that gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) have lower rates of viral suppression when compared to other populations. 3. Key Services to be Supported: Our clients have many barriers to linkage and RIC that include but are not limited to lack of access to HIV testing, transportation to health services, health literacy, lack of support services, and stigma. RWPC funding will be used to address these barriers. ECUHIVP will assist with coordinating referrals and linkage to HIV care as well as developing and implementing programs to locate hard-to-reach populations with HIV education and prevention. The major objectives for the project period include: a. Provide comprehensive HIV health care to men over 25 years of age, b. Identify, link, and retain HIV positive men in care, and c. Reduce HIV health disparities and inequities in adult men, particularly Black MSM, by integrating community health workers and case managers to reach men with barriers to treatment adherence.
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).