An Overview of the National Minority AETC

Date of Report: 04/2007
Source: AETC National Multicultural Center

The National Minority AIDS Education and Training Center (NMAETC), at Howard University's College of Medicine, is a collective body of clinical, capacity building, and cultural fluency experts specializing in HIV prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. With local performance sites across the nation, NMAETC serves as a resource for physicians, physician assistants, dentists, nurses, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and other HIV care providers in the United States. As a member of the AETC Network, NMAETC has the distinction of forging partnerships to provide guidance and training to minority-serving clinicians and institutions. NMAETC has endeavored, successfully, to attract faculty and staff who represent the populations it serves. The primary mission focuses on the improvement of health outcomes for people living with HIV by increasing the number of clinical practitioners who are proficient and willing to diagnose, counsel, or treat those who are infected and affected by HIV.

NMAETC researches and tests cultural competency models which increase providers' ability to deliver culturally sensitive and appropriate care to all Americans. This task has led to the organization being recognized for its BESAFE Models for African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans. Its latest project, the development of a BESAFE Model for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, has already resulted in the formation of a strong API/NMAETC network of population experts. The NMAETC has developed a range of products associated with BESAFE, including textbooks, training modules, slide sets, and seminars.

During this period of fiscal challenges, it is imperative that HIV service organizations take advantage of distance learning technology and other resources to reach providers and enhance their ability to diagnose and appropriately treat illness associated with HIV. NMAETC is addressing this need through the development of capacity building and training DVDs, Web broadcasts, and provider/clergy/media-driven community education events aimed at increasing An Overview of the National Minority AETC continued from page 1 awareness. NMAETC, which is based at many of the top minority-serving academic institutions in the United States, is also expanding its scope by developing new academic partnerships to serve as bridges in underserved rural and urban communities where AETC resources are most needed.

NMAETC is especially committed to increasing the capacity of school-based health service providers, who may be the only clinicians many children and adolescents encounter. As such, NMAETC has developed a comprehensive HIV/AIDS training curriculum for the DC School Nurses Association, which has received excellent reviews from nurse participants.

Finally, NMAETC is developing the following product offerings:

	Web-i-nar training series on NMAETC core service delivery areas
	HIV/AIDS Educator Certification Training Program
	National HIV-provider training series for clinicians affiliated with Balm in Gilead in collaboration with Pennsylvania/ MidAtlantic AETC
	Train-the-trainer, web-based certification program to support the BESAFE series
	Exploring the development of a national interpreter program
	Development of MAI Information Data Repository for use by the AETC Network
	Regional HIV-related training series for DC Dept of Health in collaboration with Pennsylvania/MidAtlantic AETC
	Development of a cultural competency training series using the BESAFE for IHS collaboratives
	Publishing of NMAETC trainings on the Office of Minority Health Website calendar.