Ryan White Title III HIV Capacity Development and Planning Grants - Project Title: FY 25 Part C Capacity Development – Dental Equipment, Applicant Organization Name: Via Care Community Health Center, Address: 3601 E. 1st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90063, Project Director: Hilda Hernandez, Voice: 323.268.9191, Fax: 323.268.9119, hhernandez@viacarela.org, Website: www.viacarela.org, Grant Program Funds Requested: $150,000. Via Care Community Health Center (Via Care) is a network of 17 federally qualified health centers. We have provided comprehensive HIV care and treatment for 5 years. We are respectfully requesting an award from the HIV/AIDS Bureau’s Ryan White HIV/AIDS Part C Capacity Development Program in the amount of $150,000 for Dental Equipment for Expanding Dental Service Capacity under the Infrastructure Development category of the grant program. The proposed equipment and supplies to be purchased to equip 3 dental operatories at our new Health and Wellness Center will specifically improve the gap in rates of access to oral health services for low-income PLWH who are current or future patients of Via Care This project will be located in East Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, in an unincorporated high-poverty neighborhood whose population is disproportionately underserved and un-/underinsured, and experiences significantly poorer health outcomes overall when compared statewide. In 2018, Los Angeles (LA) County had the highest number of new diagnoses of any of the geographic priority areas in the U.S., and was home to the greatest number of PLWH (approximately 58,000) of any county.1 PLWH in East Los Angeles remain critically underserved, despite efforts of Via Care’s and other local providers, with only one agency currently providing integrated HIV clinical treatment and oral health care. They experience disproportionate rates of housing insecurity, mental health and substance misuse, and other socioeconomic and cultural barriers to care that impact their ability to stay in medical care, adhere to antiretroviral therapy, and participate in other critical services such as oral health care. Intensive medical care management addresses their health care, psychosocial, housing, and other needs; reduces barriers; and improves their retention in care and adherence to ART, which are critical to achieving viral load suppression. Participation in oral health care services is critical for PLWH, because of the prevalence of oral diseases that often indicate progression of HIV disease and how oral health problems impact patients’ ability to adhere to their HIV treatment regimen, therefore increasing risk of disease progression and undermining viral suppression. The goal of the project is to establish oral health care services for PLWH in East Los Angeles through the purchase, promotion, and utilization of new dental equipment. Objectives are to initiate culturally competent dental care for East Los Angeles PLWH through purchase and installation of new equipment; provide dental care for a minimum of 30 PLWH prioritizing outreach to ensure underserved populations have access to services; and ensure 90% of dental HIV patients are satisfied with the care they receive. Via Care’s patients are significantly representative of population groups severely impacted by HIV/AIDS, namely, young men of color who have sex with other men, MSM, and heterosexual females. Via Care requests a funding preference, Qualification 2: Underserved Populations, which demonstrates Via Care’s dedication to providing primary care services to underserved populations with respect to HIV-related health services.
