Friday, April 4, 2025
4/4/2025
WellSpace Health's STI and Sexual Health Center - WellSpace Health (WellSpace) is the largest Federally Qualified Health Center serving the greater Sacramento County region with over 30 health centers and behavioral health sites. WellSpace provides comprehensive primary care, pediatrics, women’s health, and pregnancy care, plus medical specialties, such as endocrinology, infectious disease, and a sexual health program. WellSpace also provides behavioral and mental health services, substance abuse disorder treatment, a sobering center, medical respite and street medicine for people experiencing homelessness, violence prevention, and employment and job training for disadvantaged individuals. WellSpace is California’s second-largest 988 Crisis Line and offers many other healthcare and social services programs. The WellSpace mission is achieving regional health through high-quality comprehensive care. We have built extensive community partnerships and gained expertise since 1953. WellSpace is well situated to facilitate a countywide plan to address STI and sexual health issues in our Region. WellSpace will implement STI and sexual health services through its 30+ community health centers, behavioral health centers, and its residential and crisis centers. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy lists Sacramento County as number 6 in the 50 priority counties where there are substantial numbers of HIV diagnoses. Sacramento County presented STI data ranking primary and secondary syphilis in Sacramento County as the 7th highest (estimated at 26 per 100,000 population), out of California’s 54 of 58 counties (STI Update, PHAB, November 3, 2021). And, Sacramento County ranks the 3rd highest county in the state for chlamydia incidences. STI and HIV data in Sacramento County point to a disproportionate burden among Hispanic/Latino and Black/African Americans. Providing equitable access to STI and HIV testing and treatment will be a priority of the stakeholder’s meetings, facilitated by WellSpace Health. WellSpace will accomplish three strategies: (A) foster community engagement and partnerships (year 1); (B) strengthen clinic infrastructure and provision of comprehensive sexual health services (years 1-5); and (C) expand access to STI prevention & other sexual health services supporting a syndemic approach (years 1-5). WellSpace will gather stakeholders representing the community of patients, school districts, community-based organizations, medical and behavioral health providers, hospitals, managed care plans, public health agencies, scholars, and interested persons to form a task force that will meet four times a year (quarterly) to discuss root causes of STI and sexual health issues and expand equitable access to STI and sexual health services among the service providers in the greater Sacramento County region. This task force will develop an actionable, community-informed, patient-centered, clinic-level plan to increase access to quality comprehensive sexual health services tailored to the affected communities, including, racial/ethnic disproportionate groups, age groups, and gender identification groups. At the end of year 5, the task force’s actionable plan, not all-inclusive, will strengthen clinic infrastructure, improve the patient clinic experience, expand access to STI prevention and other sexual health services supporting a syndemic approach, and increase linkage to prevention and care services for co-occurring conditions.
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).