Centro Ararat Inc

RYAN WHITE PART C OUTPATIENT EIS PROGRAM

RYAN WHITE PART C OUTPATIENT EIS PROGRAM

SPECIAL PROJECTS OF NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE - DEMONSTRATION/IMPLEMENTATION SITES

RYAN WHITE TITLE III HIV CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING GRANTS

RYAN WHITE TITLE III HIV CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING GRANTS - APPLICANT ORGANIZATION: CENTRO ARARAT, INC. PROJECT DIRECTOR'S NAME: NORMA CARTAGENA ADDRESS: 8169 CALLE CONCORDIA SUITE 412 CONTACT NUMBER: (787) 296-8888 EXT 263 PONCE, PR 00717-1567 E-MAIL ADDRESS: NCARTAGENA@CENTROARARAT.ORG PROGRAM FUNDS REQUESTED: $150,000 WEB: WWW.CENTROARARAT.ORG FUNDING PREFERENCE: INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT / TELEMEDICINE CENTRO ARARAT, INC. (ARARAT) IS A PRIVATE NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION ESTABLISHED BY HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS WITH A CLEAR COMMITMENT TO OFFER THE BEST RESEARCH AND CLINICAL SERVICES TO ITS COMMUNITY OF PATIENTS, WITH SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE MANAGEMENT AND TREATMENT OF HIV. ARARAT HAS ITS PRINCIPAL LOCATION IN PONCE, P.R., AND MAINTAINS THREE OTHER CLINICS IN JUANA DIAZ, SAN JUAN AND ARECIBO, P.R. ARARAT IS THE APPLICANT UNDER THE FY 2022 RWHAP PART C CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM AND IS REQUESTING FUNDING TO IMPLEMENT AN INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE TO ENHANCE TELEMEDICINE SERVICES. ARARAT IS REQUESTING $150,000.00 TO FURTHER ENHANCE ITS CAPACITY TO USE ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES TO PROVIDE OR SUPPORT CLINICAL CARE AT A DISTANCE. THESE ENHANCEMENTS WILL ENABLE ARARAT CLINICAL STAFF, INCLUDING NUTRITION COUNSELORS, MENTAL HEALTH SPECIALISTS AND MEDICAL CASE MANAGERS, TO REACH OUT TO ARARAT PATIENTS SAFELY AND TO LINK AND RETAIN THEM IN CARE REGARDLESS OF THREATS TO PATIENT SAFETY OR THEIR LACK OF ACCESS TO SAFE TRANSPORTATION. THE ENHANCEMENTS INCLUDE UPGRADES TO ARARAT’S SYSTEMS AND SERVERS THROUGH THE ACQUISITION OF HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE NECESSARY TO IMPROVE ITS TECHNOLOGICAL CAPACITY AND EASE OF USE. WITH FUNDING FROM THE PROJECT, ARARAT WILL ALSO IMPROVE UPON ITS PATAGONIA ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD BY ACQUIRING PATAGONIA’S CONTACTLESS PATIENT PORTAL FOR IMPROVED PATIENT ACCESS AND CONTROL OVER REMOTE SERVICES, INCLUDING SELF-SERVICE SCHEDULING OF APPOINTMENTS, SUBMISSION OF REQUIRED FORMS AND CERTIFICATIONS, REMOTE CHECK-IN, DOCUMENT SCANNING AND REALIZING PAYMENTS. LIKEWISE, ARARAT WILL FURTHER IMPROVE ITS E2CENTRO DATA MANAGEMENT AND REPORTING SYSTEM, BY BUILDING ON ITS DATA EXCHANGE ARCHITECTURE TO FURTHER E2CENTRO TO RECEIVE CLIENT LEVEL DATA FROM THE PATAGONIA EHR, INCLUDING DATA UPLOADED BY PATIENTS THROUGH THE TELEMEDICINE PORTAL, TO DOCUMENT PROPER COMPLIANCE WITH HAB AND ARARAT CLINICAL CARE INDICATORS OF REMOTE SERVICES PROVIDED THROUGH TELEMEDICINE. MOST IMPORTANTLY, THIS FUNDING WILL ENABLE ARARAT TO RECRUIT AN ADDITIONAL TELEMEDICINE EDUCATOR, TO ASSIST STAFF AND PARTICIPANTS IN THE FULL USE OF THE TELEMEDICINE TOOLS. ARARAT HAS CONSULTED WITH PATIENTS AT ALL ITS CLINICS TO IDENTIFY THE FACTORS THAT INHIBIT THEM FROM FULLY USING TELEMEDICINE AS A SAFE OPTION FOR CLINICAL CARE. HOWEVER, MOST PATIENTS IDENTIFIED TECHNICAL BARRIERS, SUCH AS THEIR LEVEL OF COMFORT WITH THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY, THEIR FAMILIARITY WITH THE TOOLS AND APPS ON THEIR SMART PHONES, TABLETS OR COMPUTERS, AND THEIR HESITANCE ABOUT PRIVACY WHEN USING TECHNOLOGY. REDUCING BARRIERS, INCREASING COMFORT LEVELS AND FAMILIARITY AND STRESSING THE PRIVACY FEATURES OF CENTRO’S TELEMEDICINE TOOLS, WILL ENABLE PATIENTS TO MAKE BETTER USE OF TELEMEDICINE. INCREASED USE OF TELEMEDICINE TO SUPPORT ONLINE EFFORTS TO REACH OUT TO NEW PATIENTS AND TO INCREASE OPTIONS FOR PATIENT CARE WILL REDUCE GAPS IN PATIENT VISITS AND ENABLE ARARAT TO INCREASE THE LINKAGE AND RETENTION IN CARE RATES OF ITS PATIENTS. THE TELEMEDICINE EDUCATORS WILL BE AVAILABLE TO “HAND-HOLD” PATIENTS THROUGH THE PROCESS SO THEY CAN REMOVE BARRIERS AND EASE THE NOVEL USER WITH THE RESOURCE TELEMEDICINE REPRESENTS. LIKEWISE, THE EDUCATORS WILL TROUBLESHOOT SITUATIONS THAT ARISE AT THE STAFF LEVEL, SO THAT THE EXPERIENCE FOR THE PATIENT IS SEAMLESS, MORE TIME EFFICIENT AND LESS INTIMIDATING. INCREASED STAFF EXPERTISE WILL UNDOUBTEDLY RESULT IN AN IMPROVED TELEMEDICINE EXPERIENCE FOR THE PA

RYAN WHITE TITLE III HIV CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING GRANTS - CENTRO ARARAT, INC. (CA) IS A NON-PROFIT, COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATION, FOUNDED IN 2001. IT IS COMMITTED TO OFFERING THE BEST PRIMARY CARE SERVICES TO OUR COMMUNITY OF PATIENTS. OUR PRIMARY CARE CLINICS ARE IN PONCE, SAN JUAN AND ARECIBO, PR, AND ITS 2 SPECIALIZED CARE CLINICS, “SEXUAL HEALTH” AND “TRANSLUCENT” CLINICS IN SAN JUAN. CA HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED FOR ITS HIGH STANDARDS OF AMBULATORY HEALTH CARE, WITH SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE MANAGEMENT OF HIV/AIDS. CA IS EXPOSED TO MANY TYPES OF EMERGENCIES AND DISASTERS, BUT PREPARING FOR THESE SITUATIONS CAN MITIGATE THE DAMAGE THEY CAUSE. CA IS APPLYING FOR THE RW PART C CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, REQUESTING $150,000.00 TO IMPLEMENT THE CENTRO ARARAT EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM. THE MAIN GOAL IS TO INCREASE ORGANIZATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND WORKFORCE CAPACITY TO RESPOND TO NATURAL, HUMAN AND PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES AND DISASTERS THAT CAN AFFECT ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY HIV PRIMARY HEALTH CARE SERVICES FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV, WITH THIS FUNDING, CA WILL IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAM OVER A 12-MONTH PERIOD THROUGH AN ESTABLISHED SERIES OF STRATEGIES AT THE ORGANIZATIONAL (CA AND STAKEHOLDERS), STAFF (HEALTHCARE WORKERS) AND COMMUNITY LEVELS (PATIENTS AND THEIR CAREGIVERS). CA WILL ENSURE PREPAREDNESS CAPABILITIES TO MANAGE PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES AND DISASTERS BY INTEGRATING PEOPLE, FACILITIES, PROCESSES, RESOURCES, AND ASSETS THAT WILL BE RELEVANT IN RESPONDING TO POTENTIAL HEALTH SECURITY THREATS. COLLABORATIONS WITH SIMILAR-NATURED AGENCIES THAT MIGHT PROVIDE ITS PATIENTS WITH NECESSARY SERVICES BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER AN EMERGENCY WILL BE PUT INTO ACTION. AN ORGANIZATIONAL VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT WILL BE PERFORMED TO KNOW HOW NATURAL AND HUMAN-CAUSED THREATS CAN AFFECT CA’S PHYSICAL INSTALLATIONS AND MAY INTERFERE WITH ACCESS TO SERVICES, WHILE ALSO ASSESSING ACCESS TO TREATMENT, TESTS, AND SUPPORT SERVICES NEEDED TO KEEP OUR PATIENTS LINKED TO CARE DURING SUCH EMERGENCIES. T O ENSURE AN EFFICIENT RESPONSE TO DISASTROUS EVENTS, CA’S EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN WILL INCLUDE A CONTINUOUS CYCLE OF PLANNING, ORGANIZING, TRAINING, EQUIPPING, EXERCISING, EVALUATING, AND TAKING CORRECTIVE ACTION, AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION LEARNED FROM FUTURE EVALUATIONS AND COLLABORATIONS. WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES, CA WILL ALSO CONDUCT PROGRAMMATIC REVIEWS AND UPDATE ITS EMERGENCY PLANS AND PROTOCOLS, AS WELL AS INTERNAL GUIDELINES RELATED TO CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS, FOCUSED ON PATIENT HEALTH CARE CONTINUITY. CA WILL BUILD, SUPPORT, AND SUSTAIN A DIVERSE, PREPARED, AND RESILIENT PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY RESPONSE WORKFORCE, TO ENHANCE EFFICIENCY AND PREVENT BURNOUT. TO STREAMLINE HANDLING OF EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES, DISSEMINATING AND TRAINING ON EXISTING GUIDELINES FOR THEIR PREVENTION AND CONTROL WILL BE PROVIDED TO STAFF. A REFRESHER ON CA’S PROTOCOLS FOR MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT WILL BE GIVEN TO ALL PERTINENT PERSONNEL. ADDITIONALLY, TO MINIMIZE EXPOSURE TO HAZARDS, CA WILL PROVIDE PERSONAL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT TO STAFF. CA WILL ESTABLISH ONE-WAY-COMMUNICATION WITH PATIENTS OR CAREGIVERS TO KEEP THE COMMUNITY POSTED ON ALL IMPORTANT MATTERS REGARDING THEIR ADHERENCE TO TREATMENT AND ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE SERVICES. A COMPONENT WILL BE DESIGNED AND IMPLEMENTED TO ASSESS MEDICATION SUPPLY, HOUSING SECURITY AND ACCESS TO SHELTER AND INTERNET, AS WELL AS MAINTAINING INFORMATION TO KEEP PATIENTS IN CARE AND ADHERENT TO ART AND VIRALLY SUPPRESSED BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER AN EMERGENCY. CA CAN IDENTIFY ITS POPULATION THAT RESIDES IN HIGY-RISK PLACES, SUCH AS HIGH CRIME ZONES, GEOGRAPHIC OBSTACLES TO HEALTHCARE AND THOSE PRONE TO FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, UNCOMMUNICATION AND/OR ROAD BLOCKAGES. EFFORTS TO MAKE THIS EVALUATION MORE THOROUGH AND EFFICIENT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED. THROUGH WORKSHOPS AND EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS, CA WILL ENCOURAGE PATIENTS TO CREATE THEIR OWN EMERGENCY PLANS.

RYAN WHITE TITLE III HIV CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING GRANTS

RYAN WHITE HIV/AIDS PROGRAM PART C EIS COVID-19 RESPONSE

RYAN WHITE TITLE III HIV CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING GRANTS

RYAN WHITE TITLE III HIV CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING GRANTS

RYAN WHITE TITLE III HIV CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING GRANTS