Ryan White Title III HIV Capacity Development and Planning Grants - Project Title: UT Southwestern Dallas Family Access Network (DFAN) Engage Initiative · Applicant Organization Name: UT Southwestern Medical Center · Address: 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75390 · Project Director Name: Dr. Jeremy Chow · Contact Phone Numbers: 214-648-3625 · Email Address: Jeremy.Chow@utsouthwestern.edu · Website Address: https://www.utsouthwestern.edu/departments/internal-medicine/divisions/infectious-diseases/patient-care/cpiu.html · Grant program funds requested: $150,000 UT Southwestern Medical Center’s (UT Southwestern) Dallas Family Access Network (DFAN) operates within the Community Prevention and Intervention Unit (CPIU) in the Division of Infectious Disease and Geographic Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. Led by Dr. Jeremy Chow, DFAN is responding to Notice of Funding Opportunity HRSA-25-049, requesting funding of $150,000 to strengthen the linkage and re-linkage of out-of-care people with HIV (PWH) in the Dallas Eligible Metropolitan Area (EMA). With Dallas County being a priority jurisdiction under the Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative and having an HIV viral suppression rate significantly below the national goal, this project aims to enhance HIV care engagement through community-based outreach and strategic partnerships. The DFAN Engage Initiative will build upon existing relationships to establish partnerships with non-traditional community-based organizations, particularly in underserved areas. Dallas EMA faces a critical gap in linkage to HIV care, with approximately 20% of individuals diagnosed with HIV not receiving any medical care annually and 40% not retained in care. Geographic disparities exacerbate this issue, as most HIV service providers are concentrated in downtown Dallas, far from communities with high HIV prevalence. Additionally, economic barriers, such as high poverty and uninsurance rates, hinder access to essential HIV medical and support services. The DFAN Engage Initiative will hire three temporary outreach staff to establish and formalize partnerships with organizations that serve at-risk populations, including faith-based institutions, LGBTQ+ groups, and harm reduction organizations. These outreach coordinators will engage individuals who are unlinked or lost to care through targeted community events and peer-driven outreach. The initiative will identify and engage 30 new non-traditional partners to expand the HIV care referral network, conduct 50 outreach events in high-impact settings to improve awareness and engagement in HIV care, link or re-link 30 individuals to HIV care services to improve health outcomes and reduce viral transmission, and develop Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with partner organizations to sustain outreach and linkage efforts beyond the grant period. By integrating lived experience with data-driven outreach, DFAN Engage will create sustainable pathways to care for PWH in the Dallas EMA. The initiative will strengthen organizational infrastructure by expanding strategic partnerships and improving community-based engagement strategies. This will enable DFAN and its clinical partners to adapt to the evolving healthcare landscape and better serve low-income and underserved populations with HIV.
