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Guests featured in this episode: Keosha Bond, M.D., Assistant Medical Professor, City University of New York School of Medicine Tori Cooper, Director of Community Engagement for the Trans Justice Initiative, Human Rights Campaign Latesha Elopre, M.D., Associate Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham Moderator: Alexandra Walker, Director of Digital Communications, National Association of Community Health Centers Alexandra:. Welcome to Health Centers on the Frontlines, the podcast of the National Association of Community Health Centers. Today is the third and last in a three-episode series we've been doing about an epidemic that the nation's health centers have been battling for decades: HIV and AIDS. PrEP access and use remain unequal in the United States, with women overall accessing it at a fraction of the rates of men. Meanwhile, one in five new HIV cases annually occurs in women. The overwhelming majority of Black women. Transgender women specifically, are at an even greater risk for HIV acquisition and oftentimes lack access to competent care to access primary care. When we think about health centers and all the work that is done with Black communities, we cannot leave HIV prevention and care for Black women out of the conversation. To discuss today, we are joined by a panel of experts, Dr. Keosha Bond, Assistant Medical Professor at the City College of New York. Tori Cooper, Director of Community Engagement for the Trans Justice Initiative at Human Rights Campaign, and Dr. Latesha Elopre, Associate Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. We start this conversation about ways that health centers can improve the engagement of Black cisgender and transgender women in HIV testing, prevention, and care. So if we could start with you, Latesha, how can we improve messaging about HIV prevention and care to improve acceptance of services among all Black women? Latesha: Thank you. So, my name's Latesha and my pronouns are she and her, and I am really excited to be able to talk about this topic. I think that when we’re talking about access and we’re talking about it for specific populations, we have to do it in the framing and the understanding that access is not equitable to begin with. So number one, there is a system-level barrier in regards to who's able to receive the services. So when we’re understanding why, we’re seeing inequalities in regards to certain geographic locations. We're talking about things like being in a non-Medicaid expansion state, having poor public transit opportunities available to you where you live, being impoverished, and being a victim of systemic racism, those are all barriers that communities of color face a lot of times on a day-to-day basis that make access difficult. But when we're talking about specifically, how do we improve messaging and understanding around PrEP and HIV testing and prevention, I think that we have to do it from a framework where we're not talking about risk, but we're talking about health. And that's something that we haven't been doing well in regards to public health in general. So I've been very excited, I think, where a lot of conversations have been moving and shifting, because right now if you were to ask many people in America right now, do you think you're at risk for HIV? Should you be tested? They would say no. And based on how we've defined risk from a public health standpoint, you know, the answer actually would be not based on CDC guidelines and recommendations, a lot of times would put people, quote-unquote, at risk is nothing more than where you live. And that's social determinants of health that are currently impacting you. So, I think we just have to change our messaging, be more sex-positive, be more...

This episode, Long-Acting Injectable PrEP and HIV Treatment, is the second in a three-episode series about new evidence-based strategies for addressing HIV and AIDS. Guests featured in this episode: Jeremiah JohnsonProgram ManagerPrep4All Amy Killelea, J.D., Killelea Consulting Aviva Cantor, PA-C, AAHIVS, PhD, Callen-Lorde Community Health Center Moderator: Alexandra Walker, Digital Communications Director, NACHC Alexandra: Hello and welcome to Health Centers on the Frontlines, the podcast of the National Association of Community Health Centers. Today is the second in a three-episode series we're doing about an epidemic that the nation's health centers have been battling for decades: HIV and AIDS. During these episodes, we're sharing promising news about how community health centers, health center controlled networks and primary care associations are employing the latest strategies to link people to ongoing HIV prevention, treatment, and care services. Today, we're happy to be joined by a panel of experts, Jeremiah Johnson, who is the Program Manager at Prep4All, an organization of professionals and patients based in New York City who advocate for greater access to lifesaving medication for HIV. Also joining us is Amy Killelea, JD, an expert in policy, medication access, and health care financing to develop sustainable HIV and Hepatitis programs. And Dr. Aviva Cantor, HIV specialist and primary care provider at Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, which serves New York City's lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. So in late 2021, the US public was introduced to a bi-monthly injectable form of PrEP, which stands for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis. Taken in pill form and now also available as an injectable this medication reduces the chance of getting HIV from sex or injection drug use. When taken as prescribed, PrEP is highly effective for preventing HIV, a landmark push to end the HIV epidemic. At the same time, people living with HIV have been introduced to a monthly injectable form of treatment that similarly puts them in charge of their healthcare needs without having to remind themselves to take a daily oral medication. This is revolutionizing the field of treatment and prevention of HIV because we never have had a form of either that was this long lasting. Also, it's exciting news because it expands the number of tools we have in our hands to fight HIV. Health centers have been taking their first steps in implementing these tools. So, starting with our health center guest. Aviva, can you explain to our audience the two types of injectable antiretroviral medication? We've heard that one can be used as PrEP for people who are HIV negative and the other as an HIV treatment for people who are living with HIV. Can you tell us about the similarities and differences?Aviva: Sure. Yeah. So the two medications and we use brand names here. I normally don't like to use brand names, but we’ll use them so that they're more clear for patients in the community. So one is called Cabenuva. That's the medication that's used for HIV treatment. And the other is called Apretude. That is the medication that's used for HIV prevention. What they both have in common are that they are both what I describe to patients and my colleagues as deep intramuscular injections. So they're a little different than your regular intramuscular injections. They have to be done by nurses who have been trained just a little bit differently to make sure they do it the right way. So they're both these deep intramuscular injections. They're actually both now available as bi-monthly or every-two-month injections. They actually sort of follow the same schedule where you're given your initial injection, you're given one one month later as a loading dose, and then you take an injection every two months, every eight weeks, essentially. The big difference between...

The first in a three-part series of conversations about an epidemic health centers have been on the front lines of addressing for decades: HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). In this episode, HIV expert Nick Diamonds leads a conversation about new strategies for preventing HIV transmission. Guests featured in this episode: Robyn Neblett Fanfair, MD, MPH, Acting Division Director, Division of HIV PreventionCenters for Disease Control and PreventionJuan Carlos Loubriel, Director of Community Health and WellnessWhitman-Walker HealthCraig Thompson, CEO, AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA) HealthModerator: Nick Diamond, Manager, Editorial Services, Elizabeth Glazer Pediatric AIDS Foundation Episode transcript Episode transcript Nick Diamond: I want to start with Robyn by asking you, "What excites you the most about the new evidence based-strategies introduced for people who are HIV negative and want to stay that way?" Dr. Robyn Neblett Fanfair: Thanks to a robust toolbox that includes pre-exposure prophylaxis, post-exposure prophylaxis, treatment as prevention, and syringe service programs, we now have more tools than ever available for HIV prevention, and we must realize the full potential of these tools, we understand how important it is to make sure that it gets into the hands of everyone who needs them. So what excites me a lot right now is a status neutral approach to HIV prevention, which we believe can really help improve access, reduce stigma, and help prioritize health equity. So as far as exciting strategies go, it's really about reframing how we think about traditional HIV service models to better reach people where they are with the services that they need. So no matter their HIV status, we know that people need similar health care as well as essential support services. These can include medical care, housing, transportation, and employment. A status neutral approach can create a one door approach for HIV prevention and treatment, which can help normalize both. It eliminates HIV stigma by integrating prevention and care instead of supporting separate systems. And we believe it can enable people to know their status by making HIV testing and next approaches, whether they're behavioral or biomedical prevention, more accessible, and it can advance health equity by connecting people to the services they need regardless of their HIV status. So those are just a few things that I think are really exciting in HIV prevention right now. Nick Diamond: And Juan Carlos, I want to turn it over to you to ask about your experience and programs at Whitman-Walker. Would you talk a little bit about what your health center is doing to improve HIV prevention services in the community? I know Robyn just talked about this toolkit; are you seeing the implementation of things in those toolkits at the health center? Juan Carlos Loubriel: Yes, indeed. We are very excited about this new approach. Whitman-Walker Health delivers tailored education and sexual health services that are sex-positive and inclusive. Our training and linkage efforts are community-based service delivery interventions. They promote access to effective tools for HIV prevention and timely diagnosis. We also provide immediate access to nPEP (non-occupational post exposure prophylaxis) and PrEP (post exposure prophylaxis) for HIV prevention. We provide early diagnosis and prompt linkage to medical care, including ART (antiretroviral therapy). And these efforts occurred alongside treatment of HIV and other chronic diseases. We strive to eliminate barriers to care. And to do this, we deliver status neutral services and connect clients to medical, behavioral health, harm reduction, and social services through customized risk reduction. Staff provide health literacy and education for clients on...

In this episode, we hear from Dr. John W. Hatch about the history of Community Health Centers and how it intersects with the Civil Rights Movement. Dr. Hatch is a professor emeritus of public health at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and a legend in the health center movement. He was instrumental in establishing one of the nation's first community health centers in Mound Bayou, Mississippi, which was an all African American town founded in the 1860s. Dr. Hatch pioneered approaches to addressing social drivers of health and describes building latrines, installing window screens, and starting a farm cooperative to provide affordable, nutritious food to the community. He explains how community input was part of the health center model from the very beginning. He also calls for more activism and policy change to address the challenges facing health centers and their patients today. Featured in this Episode Benjamin Money Jr Senior VP, NACHC Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-money-6133436 Profile: https://www.ncdhhs.gov/about/leadership/benjamin-money Dr. John W. Hatch Professor Emeritus of Public Health University of North Carolina, Chapel Hil Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:31 The changing of terms 02:35 The social drivers and how to address them 12:30 Moving in the area of environmental health 15:18 Establishing the Co-op 16:49 Adding benefits like non-medical things 21:18 Envisioning what Health Centers could become 25:12 Continuing the legacy 29:42 Addressing racial inequality 34:18 Communities addressing the public health issues 45:54 The incredible community health workers 52:54 The communities of today 56:05 Giving Thanks Produced by Heartcast Media. www.heartcastmedia.com

The pandemic made our nation aware of the importance of the people who raise, pick, and process our food. We now understand that farmworkers, as well as grocery store cashiers and shelf stockers can be counted among our country’s Essential Workers. However, it’s not always clear to the Community Health Center care team what a patient’s occupation is. Occupation is one of the most important social drivers of health, affecting patients’ health and access to healthcare in many different ways. This episode of Health Centers on the Front Lines takes us behind the scenes at a health center and their partner network as they change the culture around disclosure of occupation among patients. Our guests talk about what it takes to collect data about a patient’s occupation and why it improves care when the care team knows what work their patients do. Featured in the Episode Katherine Chung-Bridges, MD Director of Research at Health Choice Network Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherine-chung-bridges-8a0127170/ Daniel Parras Research Data Scientist Health Choice Network Website: https://www.hcnetwork.org/ Yvonne Armijo Director of Operations/Information System Analyst La Casa Family Health Center Website: https://www.lacasahealth.com/ Giddel Thom, MD Chief Medical Director La Casa Family Health Center Website: https://www.lacasahealth.com/ Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:56 The story of dairy farm workers 07:49 What is occupational data and how does it affect health care? 10:18 The difficulty of collecting these data 12:19 The challenge of integrating occupational data into the E-health records 15:44 The importance of occupation in health and in socioeconomics 20:00 Reactions when meeting new patients having to know their past medical records 24:03 Takeaways from our guests Produced by Heartcast Media https://www.heartcastmedia.com/

After a long wait, children younger than 5 are finally eligible to get vaccinated for COVID-19. What does this mean for parents and caregivers? Wanda Montalvo, PhD, RN, FAAN, a senior fellow and team lead for public health integration and innovation at NACHC, interviews pediatrician Lisa Costello, M.D., MPH, about vaccine benefits as well as answers some commonly asked questions. For more resources about vaccines, view the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ COVID-19 Public Education Campaign, We Can Do This provider and patient education materials on pediatric COVID-19 vaccines: Resources About COVID-19 Vaccinations for Children Key Takeaways The systematic process for approving the COVID-19 vaccine for children The risk assessment on children getting vaccinated The definition of Long CoVid and what it means to children Engaging with parents and communities to promote vaccination for children Quotes From what I've experienced, choosing vaccination is the safest path for the protection of your children - Dr. Costello The communities trust their local health care provider and if we provide them with resources, we can do a great deal in improving vaccine confidence - Dr. Costello Featured in the Episode Wanda Montalvo, PHD, RN, FAAN Senior Fellow, Public Health Integration, National Association of Community Health Centers Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wmontalvophdrn Twitter: https://twitter.com/Montalvo501 Company Website: Nachc.org Lisa Costello MD, MPH, FAAP Pediatrics Dept. West Virginia University School of Medicine Profile: https://directory.hsc.wvu.edu/Profile/35594 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-m-costello-b1329391 Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisacostellowv?lang=en Contact Details 304-598-4835 Chapters 00:00 Intro and Guest's background 02:28 the process of approval 06:37 Risk assessment 11:25 Long Covid, and what it means to children 13:34 Promoting children's vaccination 18:25 post-vaccination for children 21:43 Final thoughts Produced by Heartcast Media https://www.heartcastmedia.com

Vaccine hesitancy has been on the rise due to COVID and the lack of information about this kind of medication. Vaccine hesitancy is not always new. It is especially common among parents who are reluctant to get their children immunized. Added to misinformation and disinformation, children are at risk of getting sick if they will not get vaccinated. In this episode, Dr. Wanda Montalvo invited Dr. Jennie McLaurin and she explained what Emergency Use Authorization is and its purpose. Moreover, Dr. McLaurin talks of the rising vaccine hesitancy among parents and the risk if children will not get vaccinated on time. She also emphasized that the hesitancy is caused by misinformation and disinformation campaigns in the public. Key Takeaways Emergency Use Authorization and what is it all about Increased vaccine hesitancy among parents Explaining the risks of unvaccinated children among parents Rising cases of disinformation and misinformation about drugs and vaccines Quotes "Emergency use authorization is not rushing of preparation and skipping oversight. The drugs have to get through a number of clinical trials before they're allowed to be part of an emergency use authorization."- Dr. McLaurin "Parents are always thinking about what they allow their children to receive in their bodies, whether a vaccine or a drug or a certain type of food nutrition." - Dr. McLaurin "Vaccines have gotten safer and safer."- Dr. McLaurin Featured in the Episode Wanda Montalvo, PHD, RN, FAAN Senior Fellow, Public Health Integration, National Association of Community Health Centers Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wmontalvophdrn Twitter: https://twitter.com/Montalvo501 Company Website: Nachc.org Jennie McLaurin, MD, MPH, MA Senior Fellow Public Health Integration and Innovation National Association of Community Health Centers Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennie-mclaurin-5111b6133/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MclaurinJennie Company Website: Nachc.org Chapters 00:00 Intro 02:41 What is Emergency Use Authorization? 05:56 The rising vaccine hesitancy among parents 07:34 Vaccines that most parents dislike 10:53 Children's risk against unvaccinated and COVID 14:35 Simple picture for protecting your child 19:30 Disinformation and misinformation 26:14 Final thoughts Produced by Heartcast Media https://www.heartcastmedia.com

Coming off another surge in COVID cases, health care workers who may have been stressed and strained before are now experiencing emotional exhaustion. This is no less true for the staff of the nation’s 1,400 health centers. Supporting the emotional and mental health of health center workers has been a focus of two of NACHC's Senior Fellows, Dr. Jennie McLaurin and Dr. Grace Wang.  Dr. McLaurin is a pediatrician with 30 years of experience caring for underserved families at the local, state, and national level, including as medical director of migrant and community health centers. Dr. Wang is a family physician who worked for more than 30 years at health centers and public health departments in New York City and Seattle, most recently at International Community Health Services in Seattle.  They talk about the dynamics of "moral distress" and "moral injury" affecting health care workers right now, made more acute during the pandemic. And offer some answers to the question: When so much is out of their control, what are some practices that health center staff can use to deal with the stress of work? And what can health center leaders be doing to support staff? 📍Key Takeaways ☑️Understanding the Mental and Emotional Health of Health Center Employees ☑️Addressing Moral Injury and Distress, What is it and Where it comes from ☑️Supports and Recommendations for Dealing with the Problem Among Health Care Personnel and Their Organization ☑️Changes in policy and new programs to address the problem at healthcare facilities, among healthcare workers, and in the people of color community   📍Quote Takeaways 📣“It's critical that the health center's leaders understand what's going on in the workforce, and that they provide both time assistance and a healing environment to improve the situation.  - Grace 📣“So when the leadership denies us the capacity to provide high-quality treatment or contradicts the knowledge that underpins our care, we've suffered a moral injury. - Jennie  📍Our Host and Guest for this Episode 🎙️Alexandra Walker | Linkedin Director of Digital Communications, National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) Nachc.org 🎙️Dr. Jennie McLaurin | Linkedin | Twitter Senior Fellow Public Health Integration and Innovation at National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) Nachc.org 🎙️Dr. Grace Wang | Profile Senior Fellow Public Health Integration and Innovation at National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) Nachc.org  📍Time Stamp ⌛[00:00] Introduction ⌛[01:49] Mental And Emotional Health ⌛[07:45] Moral Injury for oneself ⌛[12:10] Moral Injury in a Healthcare setting ⌛[17:09] Effects of the distress  ⌛[19:16] supports and recommendations ⌛[28:03] Policy and Programs ⌛[34:38] Conclusion This podcast was produced by Heartcast Media    

Community health centers are a national network of low-income primary care clinicians who play a key role in national, state, and local responses to the coronavirus pandemic. Health centers generally contribute to response efforts by delivering testing, triaging patients, and decreasing the pressure on hospitals, but they also play a role in meeting demand for behavioral health services and providing ongoing primary care to patients with chronic diseases. In this podcast episode, We welcome Jim Macrae, an associate administrator for primary health care in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Health Resources and Services Administration. Jim will speak about his experience throughout the one-year pandemic while assuring equity in COVID vaccinations. 📍Key Takeaways 🌟The importance of Community Health Centers during the roll-out of Covid Vaccine 🌟Lessons and Challenges faced during the Pandemic at the Community Level. 🌟Data and Resolution during the Implementation of Covid Vaccination Program 🌟Effective Systems and Models developed during the Vaccination Program 📍Quote Takeaways 📣“Most importantly, health centers are trusted. They're trusted in their communities because their boards are actually patient majority, but also many of the employees at the health center are local residents.” - Jim 📍Special Terms and Websites mentioned in the episode ☑️FDA - Food and Drug Administration ☑️CDC - Center for Disease Control and Prevention ☑️Bureau Primary Health Care - bphc.hrsa.gov     📍Our Host and Guest for this Episode 🎙️Ben Money | Profile | Linkedin Next Senior Vice president of Public Health Priorities 🎙️Jim Macrae | Profile  Associate administrator for primary health care in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Health Resources and Services Administration. 📍Time Stamp ⌛[00:00] Introduction ⌛[00:57] Roles and Challenges of Community Health Centers  ⌛[07:05] Lessons learned from a Bureau Standpoint ⌛[14:08] Health Center COVID 19 Vaccination Program ⌛[21:47] Statistical Data and Analysis on Vaccine Program ⌛[24:51] Effective Service Models that will stick around in the future ⌛[28:49] Conclusion This podcast was produced by Heartcast Media

Early in the pandemic when vaccines were scarce, Community Health Centers in North Carolina often had to contend with racial bias regarding who had access to the vaccine. Rocky Mount OIC Health Center managed to mobilize its community to operate outside of local government entities and reach the people impacted the hardest -- Black and brown frontline essential workers and their communities. OIC challenged the traditional public health assumptions about who was at risk from COVID-19 and who needed these vaccines. In this episode NACHC’s Senior Vice President for Public Health Priorities, Ben Money, talks with Reuben Blackwell and Sherri Bryant of Rocky Mount OIC Health Center about how they are battling systemic racism in addition to the pandemic as they protect their community from COVID-19.

Rising concerns about the spread of the Omicron variant have Community Health Center racing to protect families. As the focus now turns to vaccinating 5 to 11 years against COVID, health centers are figuring out ways to operationalize this effort in underserved communities.  There are over 2,500 School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs) across the US.  We spoke with experts to learn more about SBHCs and why they are critical to protecting the health and well-being of pediatric populations during the COVID-19 pandemic.   Featuring: Paula Fields, MSN, BSN, RN Vice President of Programs & Technical Assistance School-Based Health Alliance   Anna Goddard, Ph.D., APRN, CPNP-PC   Vice President of Quality, Research, & Evaluation School-Based Health Alliance   Jennie McLaurin, MD, MPH, MA, FAAP Senior Fellow for Public Health Integration and Innovation NACHC

Recent data from the Kaiser Family Foundation shows the COVID-19 vaccination gap narrowing between white adults and people of color in the United States. Community Health Centers like Lowell Community Health Center in Massachusetts play a big role in closing that gap. In this episode, we talk with two staff members at Lowell about how their community outreach efforts have been critical in helping them vaccinate their patients, 40 percent of whom speak a primary language other than English. Jeanmerli Gonzalez is Lowell's Community Outreach Coordinator and Brent Carney is Lowell's Communications Director. The health center has strong roots in its diverse community and these connections have helped Lowell in administering a majority of vaccines to people of color. As the vaccination effort turns now to people who are undecided, children, and people affected by employer mandates, we hear about what’s working and what challenges remain.      Quotes Mentioned: "There's no one magic solution. It really is a one on one time period right now that we, you know, you really do need to reach out to each person individually and based on that person's age, their background, their personal situation at home, the way they're going to get information is going to be unique to each individual." "This is a a learning process and that we're not on a short trip. We're on a long haul and that we want to make sure that we're just checking in on each other. I think that's a lot of things we've been doing on our end. I'm grateful for the health center and they're thinking about us and they've provided opportunities." "The biggest barrier right now is really misinformation and that's, you know, across the board. So we're trying to make sure that we battle that misinformation in unique ways by trying to get providers on social media, doing videos, generally going out to events and talking to people and other community health workers doing that." Learn More Links: Website: https://www.lchealth.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LowellCommunityHealthCenter/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lowell-community-health-center/ NACHC Podcasts: https://www.nachc.org/nachc-podcasts/