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Collaboratives

Through two learning collaboratives, EHE is providing an infrastructure to support health care organizations across King County in better identifying people at risk for HIV and helping them access and utilize Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), testing people for HIV when they are already presenting for health care, and rapidly and effectively treating those diagnosed with HIV.

Health Care Collaborative

To end the HIV epidemic in King County we need all health systems to be safe, affirming, and competent in providing care to LGBTQ+ populations so people at risk for or living with HIV feel comfortable engaging in clinical services and accessing PrEP or HIV treatment. As a result, EHE supports a collaborative of the majority of health systems in King County to work towards implementing recommendations from the Bree Collaborative.

Participants

  • CHI Franciscan
  • Country Doctor & Carolyn Downs Community Clinics
  • HealthPoint
  • International Community Health Services
  • Kaiser Permanente Washington
  • Neighborcare Health
  • PHSKC Sexual and Reproductive Health Program
  • UW Harborview Medical Center
  • UW Northwest Hospital
  • UW Montlake
  • Seattle Indian Health Board
  • Sea Mar Community Health Center
  • Swedish Medical Center
  • VA Puget Sound Health Care System

Non-provider participating organizations:

  • Mountain West AIDS Education and Training Center
  • Bree Collaborative (Foundation for Health Care Quality)
  • Washington Department of health

Emergency Department Collaborative

Emergency departments treat a large number of people who do not access regular primary care, including many people at risk for HIV. EHE is helping to identify people who have not been diagnosed with HIV yet as well as those who have fallen out of care to help engage or re-engage them in HIV treatment, improving not only their health but preventing their ability to transmit HIV to others.

Participants

  • CHI Franciscan St Anne Hospital
  • Kaiser Permanente Urgent Care
  • Multicare – Auburn
  • Overlake Hospital
  • Swedish Ballard
  • Swedish Issaquah
  • Swedish Redmond
  • UW Harborview Medical Center
  • UW Northwest Hospital
  • UW Medical Center Montlake
  • Virginia Mason Franciscan Health

Improving LGBTQ+ & HIV care among collaborative sites

Through EHE, members of EHE Health Care and Emergency Department collaboratives implemented quality improvement projects to improve care for LGTBTQ+ populations as well as those at risk of or living with HIV.

  • HealthPoint
    Developed and improved HealthPoint staff capacity to serve LBGTQIA + and BIPOC patients; Implemented mobile point-of-care testing - mobile testing in homeless encampments, shelters, LBGTQIA+ events, supportive housing sites, and other community locations throughout South King County; Improved access to HIV screening and PrEP for Sub-Saharan African immigrants. Clinical Pharmacist now provides PrEP education via telehealth.
  • Kaiser Permanente of Washington
    Developed capacity with a Community Resource Specialist who is dedicated to the HIV & PrEP Program at KPWA. Goals are to improve care for both HIV & PrEP services for Kaiser Permanente patients and be a liaison to community-based organizations.
  • University of Washington Emergency Department
    Expanded HIV testing at the Emergency Departments (EDs) of three of four hospitals – Harborview Medical Center (HMC), University of Washington – Montlake (UWMC), and University of Washington – Northwest Hospital (UMNW), working towards the goal of opt-out testing within EDs. Built capacity to handle this increase and to improve our capture of people who are presenting to the ED and our reach with populations beyond the walls of the hospital by bringing on a Community Outreach Worker to work to bring people living with HIV (back) to care.
  • Ballard Emergency Department Physicians Swedish
    Developed and maintains a public facing website in conjunction with the local Emergency Departments and Public Health – Seattle & King County to ensure that it reflects common goals and values as well as appropriate and adequate resources for patients. Developed patient facing HIV educational materials. Served as a resource for others implementing similar programs. Designed educational materials and incentives to ED staff who are implementing this program.
  • International Community of Health Services
    ICHS improved SOGI data collection to better identify patients, specifically Chinese and Vietnamese patients who identify as LGBTQ+, who may benefit from HIV screening, PrEP access, and linkage to HIV care. This work was completed in 2022 and resulted in increased SOGI data collection rates and awareness of HIV prevention services.
  • SeaMar
    SeaMar built new practice advisories and alerts in EPIC, surveyed all providers to develop a roster of providers who are skilled and welcoming to LGBTQ+ patient populations, and developed marketing of HIV prevention and care services at SeaMar and disseminated through their Spanish language radio stations and social media outlets. This work was completed in 2022.
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