Fast Facts: CHCs and HIV/AIDS Care

- 64 percent of health center patients are racial and ethnic minorities

- 59 percent are women

- 40 percent are uninsured

Who are health center patients?

- Nearly all health center patients are low income; 71 percent of these patients have incomes below the poverty level

Who are health center patients?

- Health centers serve as medical homes for more than 16 million patients.

-More than 80 percent of community health centers offer on-site, HIV-specific medical or social services.

CHCs by the Numbers

- More than 90 percent offer HIV/STD risk education, counseling and psychosocial evaluation.

- Approximately 30 percent offer rapid (oral swab) HIV testing services in lieu of traditional blood samples.

CHCs by the Numbers

- More than 85 percent provide medical case management, prevention case management, or medical benefits counseling services.

CHCs by the Numbers

The Ryan White CARE Act (RWCA) impacts an estimated 500,000 people each year. Under the Ryan White program, federally-funded grants are directly delivered to more than 360 CHCs and public health providers in 49 states, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia and the Federated States of Micronesia.

The Ryan White Program

The Ryan White Care Act significantly reduces disparities in care by addressing the needs of vulnerable, traditionally medically underserved patients. According to the HIV/AIDS bureau within the Health Resources and Services Administration:

The Ryan White Program

- Of all RWCA clients served in 2004, 72 percent had incomes at or below the poverty line; 31 percent were uninsured.

- 69 percent of all RWCA clients are minorities.

- 33 percent of RWCA clients are women.

The Ryan White Program

An electronic health record can be implemented in clinics that treat HIV/AIDS patients, and is particularly effective when it comes to the reporting of required patient data. This data is used to assess the current scope of the HIV/AIDS patient population and is absolutely invaluable to the research and development of effective treatments.

Why is technology so important in the coordination & delivery of care to HIV/AIDS patients?

Essentially, technology (when implemented into the facilities that treat HIV/AIDS patients) has the power to help providers determine the most effective ways for National HIV/AIDS Strategy to meet their goals of reducing new infections and transmission rates and providing and improving quality care across the board.

Why is technology so important in the coordination & delivery of care to HIV/AIDS patients?

Facilities providing HIV/AIDS care will need to select an EHR product that provides staff with clinical protocols, robust reporting capabilities, case management, patient surveys, and other features which empower providers to obtain valuable information in order to recommend the most effective treatment programs.

Why is technology so important in the coordination & delivery of care to HIV/AIDS patients?

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