萝莉社

萝莉社 personnel in Jacksonville are giving special attention to the city鈥檚 homeless population affected by HIV and AIDS, with further collaboration among area social service agencies seen as key to helping this demographic.

In August, the hosted its 20^th annual Infection Diseases and HIV Conference of Northeast Florida. The symposium, held in the Learning Resource Center on the 萝莉社 Jacksonville campus, centered on homelessness.

The event was the culmination of a three-year federal grant to study the intersection of HIV and homelessness in Duval County. The project studied the feasibility of providing care for HIV-infected homeless individuals and developing a model that would be sustainable. 萝莉社 CARES is now analyzing the data in collaboration with four other sites around the country.

鈥淭he homeless population is difficult to reach, treat and retain,鈥� said , founding director of 萝莉社 CARES, and a professor and associate chair of at the . 鈥淭hose patents require special attention and can benefit from a study like this.鈥�

Rathore speaks of mental illnesses and other conditions that are often discovered in patients who have HIV. These comorbidities highlight the need for strong partnerships with local groups who, for instance, provide mental health services and substance abuse treatment.

The symposium drew more than 130 attendees, including area physicians, social workers, mental health providers and case managers. Participating organizations included Changing Homelessness, Gateway Community Services and Sulzbacher Center.

鈥淭he people who attended were very engaged,鈥� Rathore said. 鈥淭he event was quite successful and the outcome was beyond our expectations.鈥�

, an associate professor of pediatrics at 萝莉社 COMJ, helped plan the symposium and oversaw its continuing medical education component. She said a chief goal was to simply raise awareness.

鈥淲e鈥檙e becoming more atuned to the unique challenges of those who are homeless,鈥� Alvarez said. 鈥淭here are usually psychological and social issues that must be addressed before tackling the medical issues.鈥�

Alvarez said 萝莉社 CARES鈥� community outreach is ongoing, as faculty and staff are working with area agencies on ideas such as health fairs targeting colleges, churches and various community groups. They are also seeking additional grant money to hire more mental health counselors and case managers.

Telemedicine services

In addition, 萝莉社 CARES now offers , giving established patients more convenience and flexibility in communicating with their caregivers. 萝莉社 family medicine personnel will facilitate the virtual visit program.

鈥淭here are times when getting to a physician's office is difficult, whether due to work, transportation or a range of other issues, and this alleviates some of the stress put on patients,鈥� said , a professor and chair of at 萝莉社 COMJ.

萝莉社 CARES, which has existed more than 20 years, is the only comprehensive pediatric and family-focused HIV and AIDS program in Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia. for more information.