Ryan White Title III HIV Capacity Development and Planning Grants - Project Title: Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Part C Capacity Development Program Project Category: Infrastructure Development Project Director Name: Dionne Bell, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC Contact Phone Number: 225-650-2000 ext. 234 Contact Email Address: dbell@caresouth.org Website: https://www.caresouth.org Address: 3140 Florida Street City & State: Baton Rouge, LA 70806 Funding Request: $150,000 Capitol City Family Health Center, Inc. dba CareSouth Medical and Dental (CareSouth) located in the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), was established in 1997 as a private, not-for-profit Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). For the past 26 years, CareSouth has provided high-quality, comprehensive health services for residents living in East Baton Rouge and the eight surrounding parishes, providing medical care services to nearly 17,000 unduplicated clients in 2022. CareSouth focuses on providing care for clients that have been underserved due to systemic issues such as racism, sexism, poverty, homophobia/transphobia, and geographic inequalities that plague the Deep South. The focus of CareSouth and its intersectional focus drives the mission to care for the community of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH). CareSouth provides the full continuum of care to thousands of clients each year through oral health, pediatrics, OB/GYN, primary care, sexual health and wellness, behavioral health, podiatry, school-based medicine, specialty care services and behavioral health services. CareSouth's growth has been in response to the needs of the community and clients, and this client-service-centered approach has allowed CareSouth to be positioned to provide high-quality healthcare to the entire community regardless of ability to pay. CareSouth continues to enhance the delivery of medical care for PLWH through multiple funding streams and through the integrated delivery of HIV/AIDS care alongside medical, dental, behavioral, and case management services. In 2002, HRSA awarded CareSouth a grant under Title III (now Part C) of the Ryan White Care Act to provide outpatient ambulatory to PLWH. In 2003, CareSouth began receiving RW Title II (now Part A) funds through a contract with the Louisiana Office of Public Health to expand services to PLWH to include outreach, oral health, and diagnostic laboratory services. In 2008, CareSouth began receiving Ryan White Part A funds from East Baton Rouge Parish Government, using funds to support the delivery of ambulatory care, pharmaceutical services, case management, transportation, and laboratory services to all clients. CareSouth is eager to grow its partnership with HRSA to implement the Ryan White Part C Capacity Development Program that will focus on enhancing access to HIV/AIDS programming and will target vulnerable populations. As a Federally Qualified Health Center, CareSouth understands the importance of providing healthcare services that are inclusive to all, and not only target the physical person and their health, but the social service and support needs that are most needed and required by vulnerable populations that CareSouth targets. CareSouth is eager to further enhance its efforts around providing HIV prevention services, with a thoughtful approach to integrating HIV primary care with oral health services. CareSouth will target racial and ethnic minorities at high-risk for HIV infection. CareSouth will achieve Ryan White Part C programming objectives through the following goals: - Install Sustainable Dental Equipment to Expand Current Capacity and Improve Oral Health Workflow - Improve Oral Health Response to New and Existing HIV Diagnoses - Enhance Service Delivery Through Target Population Feedback - Expanded access to oral healthcare for individuals living with HIV/AIDS - Better oral (and overall) treatment outcomes for individuals living with HIV/AIDS - Increased dental team capacity and efficiency - Improved accessibility of oral health services for the underserved
