AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) To Rollout Program To Help Florida HIV Positive Minorities Access Care, Services

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., April 27 /PRNewswire/ -- In a press conference and teleconference set for this Wednesday, April 28th in Fort Lauderdale, AIDS Healthcare Foundation will unveil an innovative new minority AIDS initiative in partnership with Florida's Department of Health/Bureau of HIV/AIDS. The goal of the initiative, which will be known as Positive Directions, is to identify those HIV positive minorities currently not in care and provide them with appropriate referrals services and linkages into primary medical care and services. AHF is one of seven providers throughout the state that has been selected to participate in this minority linkage outreach. AHF will officially rollout their program in Palm Beach and Broward Counties on May 1st.

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AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the nation's largest AIDS organization with clinics in the US, Africa and Central America, has operated Positive Healthcare, a state-of-the-art disease management program for Florida MediPass (Medicaid) patients since 1999. PHC Florida currently serves more than 7,000 clients.

"This unique new linkage program will leverage the expertise and established community presence of existing disease management nursing staff in Palm Beach and Broward Counties to reach out to those in need, but not yet in care," said Donna Sabatino, RN, ACRN, Associate Director of Disease Management, AHF/Positive Healthcare-Florida. "We estimate 75% of those clients assisted into primary medical care through this program will continue in their care during the course of the year."

"Our disease management nurses often uncover other family members of their Medicaid clients, and ascertain those people are not in care, and may need assistance getting into the systems of care they need," said Ron Haberle, AHF Regional Manager for Palm Beach County. "Once nurses identify candidates for the program, they will contact the care linkage staff and connect them so the care staff can begin to prepare those potential clients and get them referred to appropriate services in their communities."

AHF staff will provide primary linkage services for HIV-infected patients, and provide patients education regarding drug regimens and secondary prevention. Additional duties include scheduling office visits to clinics -- and accompanying patients on visits when needed, providing pre and post test HIV counseling and testing in accordance with Federal and Florida State laws. AHF's Positive Directions linkage program will consist of an overall program coordinator, (Amy Saulsby, RN, AHF Positive Directions Linkage Program Coordinator) and 2 outreach workers. Staff members will provide the actual referrals into care, and act as the liaison to the existing Ryan White network of providers in both consortia areas (Broward and Palm Beach), assist in locating services for supportive issues in addition to their primary goal of medical care and medications.

"After speaking with our local staff in both areas, we anticipate approximately 15 - 20 people per month to be referred into care in each area, and then steadily increase to 25 per area as the program grows," said AHF's Sabatino. "We intend to be intimately involved with the local linkage programs in both Palm Beach and Broward, and we want to thank the Department of Health for including us as one of the providers in this important new outreach program."

                            Florida AIDS Facts

   *  Throughout the AIDS epidemic, Florida has consistently ranked third in
      the nation in the number of reported cases and second in the number of
      pediatric cases.  (Source: Florida Bureau of HIV/AIDS, 2002)

   *  The HIV/AIDS epidemic in Florida has disproportionately impacted
      minorities.  An important issue common to all minorities is access to
      health care, including HIV diagnostic and treatment services.
      (Source: Florida Bureau of HIV/AIDS, 2002)

   *  The Florida Bureau of HIV/AIDS estimates that 65,000-100,000
      Floridians are living with HIV infection: approximately 1 in 46
      blacks, 1 in 176 Hispanics and 1 in 346 whites.  These estimates
      include those who have been diagnosed with HIV or AIDS, as well as
      those who are unaware of their HIV infection.
      (Source: Florida Bureau of HIV/AIDS, 2001)

   *  HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of death in Florida for both black males
      and black females aged 25 to 44 years.
      (Source: Florida Bureau of HIV/AIDS, 2001)

CONTACT: California, Ged Kenslea, AHF Communications Director,+1-323-860-5225, or Florida, Joey Wynn, AHF Florida Manager of CommunityRelations, +1-954-522-3132