New York and New Jesrey Aids Education and Training Center
New York and New Jesrey Aids Education and Training Center

Primary Care & HIV in 2009
This program is designed to enhance the ability of primary care providers to detect HIV infection, deliver routine care to HIV positive individuals and refer to specialists as appropriate.
OBJECTIVE PURPOSE TARGET AUDIENCE FUNDING
Upon completion of this program, participants will be able to:

  • Describe the prevalence and implications of late diagnosis of HIV
  • Enhance their ability to detect HIV infection
  • Identify effective initial treatment strategies and approaches for HIV and its comorbiditites
  • Understand effective strategies to encourage treatment adherence
 Physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, mental health providers, administrators providing primary care, STD and family planning clinicians, and other primary care clinicians. Support for this program is through the NY/NJ AIDS Education and Training Center (AETC). The AETC is one of 11 federally funded regional centers nationwide that conduct targeted multidisciplinary HIV/AIDS education and training programs for healthcare providers. The NY/NJ AETC is funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
STATEMENT OF NEED
HIV infection rate has been unacceptably high with now over 56,000 estimated new HIV infections each year in the Unites States. Approximately one third of newly diagnosed HIV cases progresses to AIDS within 12 months after HIV infection is diagnosed, indicating a failure to diagnoses HIV at an early stage. In 2006, the CDC published with the Revised Recommendations for HIV Testing of Adults, Adolescents, and Pregnant Women in Health-Care Settings. [MMWR 2006; 55 (No. RR-14)]. The recommendations aim to simplify the HIV testing process in health care settings and increase early HIV diagnosis among the estimated more than 250,000 HIV-positive Americans who are unaware of their infection. The ultimate goal of the guidelines is to ensure that every patient who receives medical care also has the opportunity to learn of HIV status. However, to effectively expand HIV screening and ensure newly identified patients are linked to appropriate care and treatment requires a well prepared healthcare workforce.