Track Description: 

This track will highlight several projects and technical assistance funded by HRSA’s HIV/AIDS Bureau. Presentations will cover Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS), improving hepatitis C surveillance, training and technical assistance available to the HIV community as well as capacity building as it relates to Ending the HIV Epidemic.

Track Learning Objectives:

  1. Describe projects within HRSA/HABs’ SPNS Initiative.

  2. Identify ways to diagnose and treat HIV/HCV co-infections using HCV surveillance

  3. List trainings and technical assistance offered by HRSA/HAB

  4. Identify 


Session #1: 

Session Title: HRSA Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS) Initiative


Session Description:

This session will address the topic areas of clinical and generational health. The

presentation will describe the implementation and outcomes from a Health Resources

and Services Administration (HRSA) Special Project of National Significance (SPNS)

Initiative to use social media and digital technologies to improve engagement, retention

in care, and outcomes along the HIV care continuum (e.g., medication adherence, viral

suppression) for youth and young adults living with HIV. Ten demonstration sites across

the country piloted their own unique, innovative, culturally congruent social media and

digital technology interventions to improve HIV health outcomes.


Session Learning Objectives:

  1. Describe how digital technology was used to improve HIV health outcomes for young people living with HIV

  2. Identify technology platforms that can be used in developing social media/digital technology HIV care interventions

  3. Describe the various HIV health outcomes addressed in the HRSA/SPNS initiative interventions.

  4. Share knowledge of barriers and challenges in using digital technology to improve HIV health outcomes of youth and young adults living with HIV.


Session #2: 

Session Title: Improving Hepatitis C Virus Surveillance Capacity to Identify and Treat HIV/HCV Coinfection


Session Description:

This panel presentation will begin with an overview of the HHS Viral Hepatitis Strategy, presented by the Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy (OIDP) followed by one of the participating states in the Hepatitis C Medicaid Affinity Group (lead by OIDP), who will provide an example of how they have developed and implemented state-identified strategies to treat and cure an increased number and percentage of individuals diagnosed with hepatitis C virus (HCV).  The RAND Corporation will then present preliminary multisite evaluation results from a three-year project executed by Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Part A and B recipients. Yale University will close out the panel by presenting their HCV data to care project, with an emphasis on generating a statewide HCV treatment cascade for coinfected persons. 


Session Learning Objectives:

  1. Describe the goals of the DHHS Viral Hepatitis Strategy. 

  2. Discuss the need for improved Hepatitis C surveillance and use of data. 

  3. Recognize data to care approaches that could be used in their jurisdiction. 


Session #3: 

Session Title: Training and Technical Assistance Available for Community Based Organizations and the HIV Community


Session Description:

Have you ever wondered what resources are available to your agency around new business models for Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) community based organizations (CBO)?  What leadership building opportunities are available for people living with HIV (PLWH) of color? Have you ever looked for a tool or TA resource to help enroll and engage PLWH in expanded health care coverage, or attempted to increase the health literacy of a RWHAP care and treatment provider for your clients?  This workshop examines three projects funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), HIV/AIDS Bureau that offer training and TA opportunities for CBOs and the RWHAP community.  The session will also highlight useful tools and materials currently available.


This presentation will begin with an overview of the Center for Quality Improvement and Innovation (CQII) introduction to the new cooperative agreement to provide training and technical assistance (T/TA) to Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) recipients and subrecipients to implement quality improvement methodologies. Presentation will include continued CQII offerings in T/TA such as quality academy, technical assistance calls, advanced training programs and quality award programs. In addition, CQII will discuss new offerings in T/TA such the quality collaborative and the quality improvement learning labs.




Session Learning Objectives:

  1. Describe current resources available for T/TA available to RWHAP recipients and subrecipients to implement quality improvement activities.

  2. Describe the levels of T/TA available to RWHAP recipients and subrecipients to implement quality improvement activities.

  3. Describe new quality improvement activities for RWHAP recipients, subrecipients and people with HIV aimed at improving patient care, patient health outcomes and patient satisfaction.


Session #4: 

Session Title: Building Community Capacity for Engagement to End the HIV Epidemic


Session Description:

This session will highlight key activities and strategies that support deeper community engagement activities related to leadership development of people with HIV as community leaders and key staff at agencies (e.g., community health workers, peer navigators, etc.). HRSA will share key themes from listening sessions with the Ending the HIV Epidemic listening sessions, key technical assistance and evaluation projects to support community engagement at the individual, organizational, and jurisdictional levels.  


Session Learning Objectives:

  1. Define key activities and strategies that support deeper community engagement activities related to leadership development of people with HIV.

  2. List key themes from listening sessions held with the Ending the HIV Epidemic jurisdictions.

  3. Present the key technical assistance and evaluation projects to support community engagement at the individual, organizational, and jurisdictional levels.