229091 Increasing Opportunities for HIV & STD Screening & Case Finding through a local Program Collaboration and Service Integration (PCSI) Work Goup

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Debra L. D'Alessandro, MPH , Pennsylvania/MidAtlantic AIDS Education and Training Center, Health Federation of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Caroline Johnson, MD , Division of Disease Control, Philadelphia Department of Public Health, Philadelphia, PA
M. Ann Ricksecker, MPH , Health Federation of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
David Acosta, BA , AIDS Activities Coordinating Office, City of Philadelphia Department of Public Health, Philadelphia, PA
Kathleen Brady, MD , AIDS Activities Coordinating Office, Philadelphia Department of Public Health, Philadelphia, PA
Marcelo Fernandez-Viņa, MPH , Division of Disease Control, Philadelphia Department of Public Health, Philadelphia, PA
Issues: Program Collaboration and Service Integration (PCSI) was identified by the CDC's NCHHSTP in 2007 when a PCSI "green paper" was issued outlining opportunities to improve efficiency, communication, effectiveness, and accountability across programs. HIV/AIDS, STD, Viral Hepatitis and Tuberculosis programs are of particular interest, in addition to substance abuse treatment programs, due to overlap in risk factors and populations. To better serve high-risk populations, the local performance site of PA/MidAtlantic AIDS Education and Training Center (AETC) assisted the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) Division of Disease Control in establishing a PCSI workgroup in May 2008. Description: One focus was increased opportunities for HIV and STD screening and case finding. To increase these opportunities, PDPH formed a PSCI workgroup to decrease silos between the HIV, STD and TB control programs, as well as the City's Office of Addiction Services. Lessons Learned: AETC conducted baseline key informant interviews and facilitated quarterly workgroup meetings to discuss PCSI, create feasible goals, report progress, and address barriers. Ongoing interviews with HIV/AIDS, STD, Viral Hepatitis, Tuberculosis and substance abuse program staff were conducted to assess how programs were integrating. New and/or expanded programs included self-administered oral/pharyngeal gonorrhea and chlamydia screenings at HIV test sites, increased HIV and STD screenings at substance abuse treatment sites, and rapid HIV testing at the TB DOT clinic. Other results will be discussed. Recommendations: Similar local structured PCSI efforts could result in new opportunities for program collaboration and integration that can improve HIV and STD screening and case finding.

Learning Areas:
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Administration, management, leadership

Learning Objectives:
As a result of attending this session participants will be able to identify key elements of successful cross-program integration that can lead to increased opportunities for HIV and STD screening.

Keywords: HIV/AIDS, STD

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: For the last 14 years I have worked for the PA/MidAtlantic AIDS Education and Training Center, providing technical assistance and consultation in areas of HIV treatment, prevention and case finding.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.