This poster highlights MATTERS' efforts to provide stigma-free access to fentanyl and xylazine test strips in New York State. Through a free mail-based program and 14 harm-reduction vending machines, over 19 million test strips have been distributed since August 2022. MATTERS also addresses the complexities of polysubstance use by exploring combination test strips to detect multiple contaminants. These initiatives aim to reduce overdose risks and provide critical harm-reduction tools to a broad population.

Mia Dickinson

Mia Dickinson

This poster illustrates the ability for virtual initiation of PEP through tele-health services to become a crucial pathway to retain patients in care and transition them to PrEP. By reducing barriers to entry for patients to access services we can build trust and help make better health outcomes.

Miriam Bonano, BA; Mitchell Caponi, MPH; Eduardo Bayter, BA; Kathryn Keneipp, MPH; Sandeep Bhat, MD, MBA

Miriam Bonano, BA

The New York Trans Health Coalition— Amida Care, Colectivo Transgrediendo, Community Healthcare Network, Destination Tomorrow, NEW Pride Agenda, and TransLatinx Network— developed the bilingual (English/Spanish) education campaign with the goal of raising awareness and uptake of PrEP among transgender and gender-expansive New Yorkers who are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. The innovative “My Body, My Life, My PrEP. #PrEPforYourLife” campaign features a bilingual video series starring trans community advocates speaking about their lived experience using PrEP.

Carlos N. Molina; Shakira Croce, MPA

Carlos N. Molina; Shakira Croce, MPA; Jessica Zyrie

People living with HIV (PLWH) often experience comorbid mental health conditions which may adversely affect their ability to engage in care and maintain viral suppression. Other highly stigmatized populations (LGBTQ+, hepatitis C, and pre-exposure prophylaxis patients) face similar challenges. Collaborative care interventions, including pharmacists as part of the team, have proven effective in improving patient outcomes. As pharmacotherapeutic experts, pharmacists are uniquely positioned to identify drug-related problems and implement or recommend interventions.
This poster describes a pilot program to evaluate the impact of pharmacist intervention in a specialty population, including PLWH, transgender and gender-diverse people, LGBTQ+ individuals, patients with hepatitis C, and pre-exposure prophylaxis patients. The pharmacist will identify drug-related problems and provide recommendations to the care team for clinic patients referred to a behavioral health medication management program under the care of a psychiatrist. This program will help identify further areas of intervention to address the syndemic within this specialty population at high risk for stigma and behavioral health diagnoses.

Katherine Coli, PharmD; Eric Sidman, PharmD, BCPS, AAHIVP; Ashley Shtoyko, PharmD, BCPS, BC-ADM; Lara Horvath, PharmD, BCACP, CACP; Jamie Blanck, PharmD, BCOP; Meaghan Murphy, PharmD, BCACP

Katherine Coli, PharmD

This study characterizes the proportion of clients served by AIDS Institute-funded providers who reported social determinants of health-related needs across nine domains (i.e., housing, food security, transportation, financial security, employment, health literacy, social isolation, stigma, disability) between April 1, 2020, and September 30, 2024. This study also examined differences in social determinants of health-related needs for client by HIV status while accounting for age, gender identity, race and economic status.

Redd Driver, PhD; Ronald J. Massaroni, MPA; Thomas O’Grady, PhD; Elizabeth M. Boos, MPH; John A. Fuller, BS; James M. Tesoriero, PhD

Redd Driver, PhD

This poster presentation illustrates the project components, the social network strategy, the results, and the lessons learned from the Minority AIDS Initiative project conducted in NYS. The Minority AIDS Initiative is an incentivized program where community members and peers are trained as health insurance recruiters to locate people living with HIV (PLWH) who are uninsured or underinsured, encourage and assist with obtaining an appointment with local state-funded health insurance exchange sites to enroll in healthcare coverage. The poster will present the program’s methods, including pre-implementation, implementation, and close-out phases.

Billy Sherrod, BA; Catherine Simmons, MS; Candice O’Connor, MPH; Holly EcKelberger, MSEd, MPH; Rachel Newport, MSEd

Billy Sherrod, BA

Historically, cisgender women have had limited awareness of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as a viable biomedical HIV prevention strategy. This study aimed to identify sociodemographic and behavioral factors associated with awareness of PrEP among sexually active cisgender women.

Devon M. Price, PhD; Carina Doyle, MPH; Fardina Miah, MPH; Joke Salako, MPH; Zoe Edelstein PhD

Devon M. Price, PhD

There is an urgent need to better understand the health burden of long-term COVID, especially among individuals with chronic conditions like people living with HIV (PLWH). Our study explored the relationship between health-related quality of life (HRQoL), assessed using the EQ-5D, and the number of long COVID symptoms, while adjusting for self-rated health and other comorbidities.

Yiyi Wu, MA; Carey Brandenburg; Luis Scaccabarrozzi, MPH; Richard Overbey; Jerome Ernst, MD; Mark Brennan-Ing, PhD

Yiyi Wu, MA

Provide access to comprehensive care and coordinated services that facilitate positive health outcomes and the general well-being of our members. An internal task force at Amida Care was formed to explore ways in which Medicaid-eligible new migrants and fit within special needs populations served (PWH, TGNB, high-risk HIV, and GAC) could access an SNP.

Luis Scaccabarrozzi, MPH; Lyndel Urbano; Sylvia Cowan; Andrea Perez; Carlos Molina; Marilyn Veras De Leon; Monica Romero

Luis Scaccabarrozzi, MPH

Ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic is contingent on improving the time between HIV diagnosis and entry into care. Those who are diagnosed with HIV and meet eligibility criteria qualify for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), which aims to reduce and/or eliminate financial barriers for people with HIV (PWH) seeking HIV treatment and care. However, many eligible PWH living in New York City who qualify for ADAP do not enroll. We investigated the social barriers that prevent PWH from applying for ADAP, as well as facilitators that eased enrollment and successfully linked PWH into care, to inform community solutions that can improve enrollment into ADAP.

Monika Damle, MPH; Rick Crosby, PhD; Charlene Cooper; Lindsay Senter, MPH

Monika Damle, MPH