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Date of Report:
06/2007
Source:
Pacific AETC
To address poor health outcomes for
people living on the U.S. - Mexico border,
the Health Resources and Services
Administration (HRSA) HIV/AIDS Bureau
(HAB) funded a number of special initiatives,
including the current Minority AIDS Initiative
(MAI)-sponsored U.S.- Mexico AETC Steering
Team (UMBAST). UMBAST consists of
representatives from three AETCs with
U.S.- Mexico border states: Pacific AETC
(PAETC), Mountain Plains AETC, and
Texas/Oklahoma AETC.
During the past four years, PAETC has
provided clinical training in their border states
of Arizona and California, based on findings
from a clinician needs assessment.
Respondents indicated a need to:
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Integrate trainings with local health
departments and regional centers |
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Provide trainings in harder-to-reach rural
counties. |
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Offer incentives such as Continuing
Medical Education (CME). |
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Offer cultural sensitivity training. |
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Invite Mexican clinicians working on the
other side of the border to participate |
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PAETC developed a collaborative, multi-training
center model targeting the border states to
address the needs assessment findings for
infectious diseases training on topics such as
tuberculosis
(TB),
sexually
transmitted
diseases
(STDs), and
hepatitis, in
addition to
HIV/AIDS.
Training partners include local communitybased
organizations and health departments,
the California STD/HIV Prevention Training
Center (PTC), the Francis J. Curry National TB
Center, the Pacific Southwest Addiction
Technology Transfer Center (ATTC), and the
AETC National Resource Center (NRC).
Additionally, the U.S.- Mexico Border Health
Commission has provided resources for
simultaneous interpretation for participating
Mexican clinicians.
Through this collaboration, PAETC has
conducted annual, two-day CME courses,titled Management of TB, STDs, HIV, Hepatitis
C, and Substance Abuse on the Border, in rural
border counties in Arizona and California over
the past five years. While the title of the course
each year remains the same, the theme varies
based on current HRSA initiatives and needs
assessment data. Themes over the past three
years have ranged from Impact on Families and
Communities to a Focus on Addictions
(emphasis on Methamphetamine). This year,
the theme was Focus on Testing. In June 2007,
over 150 border clinicians and other providers,
such as HIV medical specialists, staff from
public and private clinics on both sides of the
border, and clinicians from the California state
prison system, participated in the training held
in Imperial County, California. Dr. Chris Hall,
Medical Director of California STD/HIV PTC,
was the keynote speaker and addressed the
CDC testing recommendations. Dr. Jorge
Saavedra, Director of CENSIDA, provided an
update on HIV in Mexico, and he also
announced a major expansion of Mexico's
CAPASITS program (clinic-based HIV/STD
treatment/training centers).
Outcome evaluation for these annual trainings
asks the participants, "As a result of this training
what might you do differently in your
work?" and includes a 30-day follow-up. Past
participants' responses include implemented
new procedures with methamphetamine-using
patients; expanded risk assessment with
patients; and expanded outreach with Hepatitis
C-infected groups. While continuing to use this
collaborative model, the PAETC plans address
these topics and others at this annual
course.
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