Mark Your Calendar – HAB You Heard Webinar: January 19
Please mark your calendar and join our first HAB You Heard Webinar of 2023 on Thursday, January 19, from 3:00 – 4:00 PM ET. The January webinar will highlight housing and HIV awareness month, share several brand-new Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) resources, and feature a new recipient spotlight presentation. This monthly update from the HIV/AIDS Bureau is open to all RWHAP recipients, subrecipients, stakeholders, and federal staff. Registration is required.
Register for the webinar.
New 2021 Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Client-Level Data Report Now Available
HRSA HIV/AIDS Bureau’s (HAB) Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Annual Client-Level Data Report, 2021 is now available. The report features RWHAP Services Report (RSR) data on all clients served by the RWHAP Parts A, B, C, and D during calendar years 2017 through 2021.
The publication provides an in-depth look at demographic and socioeconomic factors among clients served. In addition, retention in care and viral suppression data are presented for the overall RWHAP client population receiving medical care, as well as among key priority populations served by the RWHAP. The report shows more than 576,000 clients received services through the RWHAP in 2021. In addition, clients receiving RWHAP medical care were virally suppressed at a record level – 89.7% – in 2021.This means that clients receiving medical care through the RWHAP are reaching and maintaining viral suppression and cannot sexually transmit HIV to their partner, which is a critical component of ending the HIV epidemic in the United States.
Check out the 2021 RWHAP By the Numbers infographic.
Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Part A Guidance for Planning Councils and Planning Bodies on Supporting People with Lived Experience
On December 6, HRSA’s HIV/AIDS Bureau released a new program letter detailing Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) Part A guidance for planning councils and planning bodies on supporting people with lived experience in their planning work. Community input process is a requirement in the RWHAP legislation and is implemented in the RWHAP Part A as Planning Councils (PCs) or Planning Bodies (PBs). It is important to meaningfully engage people with lived experience in PCs and PBs to identify and address barriers to accessing RWHAP services and their intended outcomes, to develop program and policies that are more responsive the needs of people with HIV, and to improve outcomes and help with efforts for people with HIV who can benefit from RWHAP services.
Read the new letter.
Remembering Ryan White
On December 6, HRSA’s HIV/AIDS Bureau honored the namesake of the program – Ryan White – on what would have been his 51st birthday. Ryan was a courageous young man, and he was diagnosed with AIDS at age 13 and died 32 years ago. He fought AIDS-related discrimination & stigma while advocating for his right to attend school and helped educate the Nation about his disease. He died a few months before Congress passed the legislation that bears his name – the Ryan White CARE Act, which was signed into law in August 1990.
Learn more about Ryan White.
New Guides Focus on Innovative HIV Care Strategies
Integrating HIV Innovative Practices (IHIP) tools and resources help HIV care providers recognize and replicate innovative HIV care strategies. A new collection of IHIP intervention implementation guides has been released on the TargetHIV website. These five new guides address outreach, linkage, and engagement for priority populations, including:
Each guide includes step-by-step implementation instructions, resource assessment checklists, staffing considerations, tips for innovation, and more.
Access the guides and learn more about IHIP.
RWHAP AETC Program Celebrates 35 Years
This year the AIDS Education and Training Center (AETC) Program is celebrating its 35th anniversary. Over the years, the AETC Program has focused on its goal to increase and enhance the U.S. HIV care workforce to diagnose, counsel, treat, and medically manage people with or at risk of HIV through training, technical assistance, and capacity-building support. In recognition of this accomplishment, the AETC National Coordinating Resource Center created a short video. This video celebrates the work and accomplishments of the AETC Program over the years.
View the video.
Feedback Sought on Planning Body Experiences
Do you have experience serving on or working with a planning council or planning body? Planning CHATT is looking to gather community feedback from members/staff of planning councils and planning bodies. This feedback will assist in planning for future activities and resources that will be most useful to planning council/planning body members and staff.
The Planning CHATT would like to hear from people who have utilized Planning CHATT services, in addition to those who have not used any of these services. Services include a learning collaborative, webinars, technical assistance, and a variety of training resources and reference materials for planning council members and staff.
People selected to be part of the feedback session will be compensated $100 for their time. A diverse cohort will be recruited to take part in the sessions. Therefore, completion of the sign-up form does not guarantee an invitation to the feedback session. Those selected will be notified by December 30. People with HIV are strongly encouraged to apply.
Key Steps for High Quality RSR Data: Webinar January 11
This webinar, which will take place January 11, 2:00 – 3:00 pm ET, is for those who are new to the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Services Report (RSR) or for those needing a refresher. It will review key steps to ensure users are reporting high-quality data in the RSR. The webinar will cover how to report required data elements based on services received, how to follow eligible service reporting requirements, and how to ensure data are complete and accurately reflect programmatic activities.
Toolkit: Long-Acting Injectables in HIV Treatment
Tools for clinics on delivery of long-acting injectable antiretroviral medications to their HIV patients are presented in in a new resource, Expand Your HIV Toolkit: Cabotegravir and Rilpivirine (CAB/RPV) Essentials and Clinical Guide. Topics covered include:
The document was produced by the Pacific AIDS Education and Training Center (AETC), part of the HRSA’s RWHAP AETC Program.
Access this resource.
RWHAP Best Practices Compilation: Text Me, Girl!
The RWHAP Best Practices Compilation gathers and shares what works to improve HIV care and services. Text Me, Girl! Is a text messaging intervention that aims to improve linkage to and retention in HIV care, increase adherence to HIV medications, and improve viral suppression and other health outcomes among transgender women. The intervention supports young transgender women with HIV, particularly those experiencing barriers to care such as periods of homelessness and/or incarceration, substance use, or engaging in sex work.
Learn more about Text Me, Girl!
Share your work in the Best Practices Compilation
HRSA Funding for Primary Care HIV Prevention
HRSA released the fiscal year (FY) 2023 Ending the HIV Epidemic – Primary Care HIV Prevention (PCHP) notice of funding opportunity (NOFO, HRSA-23-025). HRSA will make approximately $50 million available for up to 140 health centers located in the targeted geographic locations where there are a substantial amount of new HIV infections.
FY 2023 PCHP will support expanding HIV prevention services that decrease the risk of HIV transmission in underserved communities. This funding will focus on increasing HIV testing, HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) prescriptions, and linkage to HIV care and treatment. It is part of HHS’ Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. initiative, which aims to reduce the number of new HIV infections in the U.S. by 90% by 2030.
Health centers with service delivery sites in the targeted geographic locations that did not receive FY 2020, FY 2021, or FY 2022 PCHP funding, are eligible to apply. This application involves a two-phase submission:
Step 1: Complete and submit to Grants.gov by January 17, 2023.
Step 2: Complete and submit to EHBs by February 16, 2023.
HRSA and CDC Adopt “mpox” Name Change
HRSA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have adopted “mpox” as the term used to refer to monkeypox disease, in alignment with the November 28, 2022, recommendation by the World Health Organization (WHO) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Human monkeypox was given its name in 1958, before the publication of WHO’s best practices in naming diseases was published in 2015. According to the WHO’s best practices, new disease names should be given with the aim to minimize unnecessary negative impact of names on trade, travel, tourism, or animal welfare, and avoid causing offense to any cultural, social, national, regional, professional, or ethnic groups.
Moving forward, U.S. federal public health agencies will adopt the mpox name in correspondence with the medical community and the public. This change from the WHO will enhance the U.S. response to mpox by using a less stigmatizing term.
HRSA Mpox Web Page
RWHAP recipients are encouraged to visit HRSA’s mpox web page to stay up to date on the mpox outbreak and access mpox resources, including press releases, fact sheets, and webinars and informational videos. The web page will be updated regularly as new resources and information are available.
Access the HRSA mpox web page.
HRSA Encourages RWHAP Recipients to Spread the Word About the RWHAP Listserv
HRSA’s HIV/AIDS Bureau is encouraging all Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) recipients and stakeholders who currently receive updates through this listserv to share the signup link with your subrecipients, community partners, and organization members. To ensure all organizations receive the latest updates about HIV-related funding opportunities, resources, and technical assistance events, please encourage your communities to stay in-the-know about all things related to RWHAP.
Sign up for the RWHAP listserv.
Apply for the HIV and Aging Challenges: Applications Due January 31
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy (OIDP) and the HHS Administration for Community Living (ACL) are partnering on two national prize competitions ($500,000 each) that focus on innovative efforts that help improve health outcomes for people aging with HIV and long-term survivors, particularly among racial and ethnic minority and LGBTQ+ populations, in either rural or urban areas. The challenges are:
Because people with HIV living in urban and rural settings are diverse populations and interventions that may work in one geographic location may not work in another, both competitions seek effective community-based solutions for addressing the needs of people aging with HIV and long-term survivors.
These challenges provide a more streamlined and simplified application process than other federal funding opportunities. They also offer an opportunity for individuals and organizations whose limited resources prevent them from applying for federal funding to submit concepts for the Federal Government’s consideration. These challenges are sponsored by the Minority HIV/AIDS Fund (MHAF), which aims to improve HIV prevention, care, and treatment for racial and ethnic minorities through supporting innovative solutions that address critical emerging needs; and by working to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and impact of federal investments in HIV programs and services for racial and ethnic minorities.
Applications are due January 31, 2023.
New CDC Issue Brief: Role of Housing in Ending the HIV Epidemic
A new CDC issue brief explores the relationship between housing and efforts to end the HIV epidemic. Research indicates that housing instability is a significant barrier to HIV care and is associated with higher rates of behaviors that may put a person at risk of getting or transmitting HIV. The brief explores how housing affects health, including HIV testing, PrEP use, HIV treatment, and viral suppression. It also presents responses by federal agencies.
CDC Releases Clinicians’ Quick Guides on Prescribing PrEP & Discussing Sexual Health with Patients
CDC has released three new Clinicians’ Quick Guides on PrEP. The new guides include information for health care providers about how to determine if PrEP should be prescribed to their patients and guidance on prescribing oral and injectable PrEP. There is also a Quick Guide to help clinicians discuss patients’ sexual history and behavior. This guide includes practical tips for normalizing and destigmatizing conversations about sexual health.
View these resources.
Seeking Clinics to Apply to the ALAI UP Project: Accelerating Implementation of Multilevel-Strategies to Advance Long-Acting Injectables for Underserved Populations
The ALAI UP Project is accepting applications from clinics across the U.S. or U.S. territories providing HIV treatment to underserved populations and communities of color. The goal of the ALAI UP Project is to support the implementation and delivery of injectable treatment to reduce HIV-related health inequities. Eight clinics will be selected to participate in this three-year project during which they will receive: 1) sample protocols to support equitable delivery of injectable HIV treatment; 2) technical assistance to implement protocols; 3) data support to inform continuous quality improvement; 4) help engaging communities to design services your patients want; and 5) peer support from other implementing clinics. In an effort to build a diverse cohort, clinics at all stages of introducing injectable treatment services are encouraged to apply, including those that have not yet introduced injectable treatment.
Application Due Date: January 20, 2023
Site Selection by: February 15, 2023
Earliest Start Date: March 1, 2023
Presentations from NASTAD’s 2022 National HIV and Hepatitis Technical Assistance Meeting
Presentations from NASTAD’s National HIV and Hepatitis Technical Assistance Meeting, which took place in October, are now available. The meeting brought together ADAP coordinators, Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Part B coordinators, prevention managers, and hepatitis coordinators from states and CDC directly-funded jurisdictions to participate in various conversations about HIV and hepatitis policy, clinical developments, and innovative programming. Topics covered include: long-acting injectables; health coverage; and coordination of HIV, substance use disorder, and behavioral health providers.
Access the presentations
