Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #107212

Mark A. Colomb, PhD, Community REACH Project, My Brother's Keeper, Incorporated, 735 Avignon Drive, Suite # 1, Ridgeland, MS 39157, 601 898-0955, Ext. 104, mcolomb@mbk-inc.org and T.'Juan Rucker, BA, Community REACH Project, My Brother's Keeper Inc., 735 Avignon Drive, Suite #1, Ridgeland, MS 39157.

Issues: Service integration for HIV services is essential given limited resources in many communities. Primary Care Referral Networks promote service integration and pool resources in communities with limited funds to conduct HIV services. As a major benefactor, community health agencies can apply primary care referral networks models within their communities to provide access to and utilization of HIV services.

Description: This session will focus on 3 Primary Care Referral Network models suitable for implementation by community-based organizations. The focus will be on how primary care referral network models can be applied/developed in small, mid-size and urban communities. These models are comprehensive, easily adaptable and proven effective. Primary care referral networks provide a central resource pool of agencies within communities to provide access to and utilization of HIV services.

Lessons Learned: Based upon 5 years of development and implementation, these models have proven effective to reduce duplication of effort and promote service integration in small, mid-size and urban communities. These models are a result of 2 years of planning and model development and 3 years of implementation. Primary care referral networks have yielded up to an 80% increase in client satisfaction with ease of service provision. Additionally, care referrals increased 60%.

Recommendations: Primary Care referral network models are useful elements in various sized communities. They promote service integration and access to and utilization of HIV services. These primary care referral network models are nationally replicable, comprehensive health network systems that builds and sustains formal relationships among service providers.

Learning Objectives:

• Learning Objective #1 Participants will be able to describe the outcome-oriented effectiveness of primary care networks using lessons learned of project models.
• Learning Objective #2 Participants will be able to develop a discuss piloting networks within their own communities by tapping into the enabling tools available from the authors.

Keywords: Access and Services, Barriers to Care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.