Thursday, April 3, 2025
4/3/2025
Ryan White Title III HIV Capacity Development and Planning Grants - Project Title: Sea Mar FY2022 RWHAP Part C Capacity Development Program Applicant Organization Name: Sea Mar Community Health Centers Grant Program Fund Request: RWHAP Part C Capacity Development Program, HIV Care Innovations, Rapid ART Program Special Consideration: Underserved Populations Sea Mar Salmon Creek Clinic in Vancouver Washington aims to increase viral suppression among people living with HIV in Clark County, WA through the addition of a peer as part of implementation of a Rapid ART program. This proposal addresses a key gap in services by allowing Sea Mar to pilot a peer component to their program to support high acuity patients for six months following new diagnosis or re-engagement in care. Clark County has the third highest prevalence of HIV out of all counties in Washington State, but trails behind other counties, like King County (an EHE jurisdiction), in, time from diagnosis to initiation of ART medications, percent of patients engaged in care, and suppressed viral load. Sea Mar Salmon Creek has built a successful HIVS clinic run by Dr. Jonathan Armstrong and Dr. Tony Stupski. They have identified a cohort of patients that are lost to follow up and hard to reach. As a federally qualified community health center and safety-net clinic, Sea Mar is committed to helping all patients, especially those facing multiple barriers, obtain high quality medical care. Sea Mar Salmon Creek recently added a 340B pharmacy to provide ART on site, as well as substance abuse treatment, behavioral health treatment, women’s health including prenatal care, dentistry, and comprehensive primary care all within the same patient centered medical home. The primary component missing to initiate a Rapid ART program at Sea Mar is a peer navigator. The funding from this proposal would hire an HIV peer navigator who could reach out to patients lost to follow up, and rapidly connect patients newly diagnosed with HIV to care. The funds would also cover bus passes for patients to make clinic appointments, incentives for patients like grocery store gift cards, a laptop and cell phone for the peer navigator, administrative time for a program director and case manager, and a dedicated staff for data analysis to publish results of the program. The results of this pilot project to add a peer within the HIV clinic, will be used to inform Sea Mar’s broader network of 86 clinics and lay a foundation for sustainable funding through the Ryan White Care system in Washington, and 340b program income as our pharmacy gets established. This capacity support comes at a crucial time to maintain the momentum as we adapt Rapid Start models to the Ryan White Part B service area in our state. The requested funds total $125,987 for a one year period of performance. Sea Mar also requests a funding preference for Underserved Populations.
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).