Abstract of Distinction: Addressing Health Disparities in HIV Prevention, Care, and Treatment: California’s Statewide Approach

In this TED-Like Talk, we will highlight the California HIV/AIDS Research Program (CHRP)’s initiative to address HIV/AIDS health disparities throughout California, by leveraging existing infrastructure provided by the Centers for AIDS Research (CFARs). The CHRP-funded Health Disparities Centers at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), San Diego (UCSD), and San Francisco (UCSF) comprise a consortium of faculty members working jointly with leadership at community based organizations. Together, they are developing novel strategies to find, test, treat and retain vulnerable, hidden and high-risk populations to optimize HIV prevention, care and treatment. We will present our strategy to collaborate across institutions and work with the community to implement these strategies, test them for efficacy, and evaluate outcomes. We will highlight the six research projects at UCLA, UCSD, and UCSF to address HIV/AIDS health disparities by developing innovative interventions tailored to these populations, as follows: Testing A Mobile App HIV Intervention for Young HIV+ African American Men who have Sex with Men (UCLA); Using Artificial Intelligence to Deliver an HIV Testing Promotion to Homeless Youth in Los Angeles (UCLA); Individualized Community Care for HIV/AIDS Now: Getting Engaged (UCSD); Enhanced Peer Navigation to Improve HIV Care for Women (UCSD); Youth to Text or Telehealth for Engagement in HIV Care (UCSF); Leveraging Social Support Networks in the San Francisco By Area's “House Ball Community” to Promote HIV Prevention and Engagement in Care (UCSF). These six projects represent a coordinated initiative to jumpstart a statewide effort to close the gap in HIV disparities. If successful, these novel projects have the potential to be broadly implemented across California and beyond. The chair, presenters and the audience will engage in an active dialogue to examine the ways in which the CHRP-funded Health Disparities Centers at UCLA, UCSD, and UCSF will collaborate to address this critical issue of reducing health disparities in HIV prevention, care and treatment in California. Presenters/authors: Sung-Jae Lee (Chair; UCLA); Lee Klosinski (Presenter; UCLA) and Lisa Loeb Stanga (Co-author; CHRP); Norweeta Milburn (Co-author; UCLA); Terry Smith (Co-author; APLA); Eric Rice (Presenter; USC); Ian Holloway (Co-author; UCLA); Ayako Miyashita (Co-author; UCLA); Erin Falvey (Presenter; Christie’s Place); Jamila Stockman, (Co-author; UCSD); Laramne R. Smith (Co-author; UCSD); David Moore (Co-author; UCSD); Maria Marquine (Co-Author; UCSD); Elizabeth Pasioanodya (Co-author; UCSD); Christian Ramers (Co-Author; Family Health Centers of San Diego); Marguerita Lightfoot (Presenter; UCSF); Parya Saberi (Co-author; UCSF); Carol Dawson-Rose (Co-author; UCSF); Emily Arnold (Co-author; USSF)