18 episodes

The Health Centers on the Front Lines podcast series tells the inspiring story of Community Health Centers around the country that provide healthcare and other services to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay. Health centers were founded on the belief that healthcare is a right, not a privilege and strive to achieve equity and fairness by providing care to communities that are historically underserved by traditional health systems.

Launched during the Civil Rights Movement, Community Health Centers bring a social justice lens to health care. Subscribe to the Health Centers on the Front Lines and learn how a little-known health care program that’s been around for more than 50 years is bringing healthcare to where people are – and helping to empower communities in the process.

Health Centers on the Front Lines is produced by the National Association of Community Health Centers.

Health Centers On The Front Lines National Association of Community Health Centers

    • Health & Fitness
    • 3.8 • 4 Ratings

The Health Centers on the Front Lines podcast series tells the inspiring story of Community Health Centers around the country that provide healthcare and other services to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay. Health centers were founded on the belief that healthcare is a right, not a privilege and strive to achieve equity and fairness by providing care to communities that are historically underserved by traditional health systems.

Launched during the Civil Rights Movement, Community Health Centers bring a social justice lens to health care. Subscribe to the Health Centers on the Front Lines and learn how a little-known health care program that’s been around for more than 50 years is bringing healthcare to where people are – and helping to empower communities in the process.

Health Centers on the Front Lines is produced by the National Association of Community Health Centers.

    Black Cis-Gender and Trans Women, HIV Treatment, and PrEP

    Black Cis-Gender and Trans Women, HIV Treatment, and PrEP

    Guests featured in this episode:

    Keosha Bond, M.D., Assistant Medical Professor, City University of New York School of Medicine

    Tori Cooper, Director of Community Engagement for the Trans Justice Initiative, Human Rights Campaign

    Latesha Elopre, M.D., Associate Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham


    Moderator: Alexandra Walker, Director of Digital Communications, National Association of Community Health Centers

    Alexandra:. Welcome to Health Centers on the Frontlines, the podcast of the National Association of Community Health Centers. Today is the third and last in a three-episode series we've been doing about an epidemic that the nation's health centers have been battling for decades: HIV and AIDS. PrEP access and use remain unequal in the United States, with women overall accessing it at a fraction of the rates of men. Meanwhile, one in five new HIV cases annually occurs in women. The overwhelming majority of Black women. Transgender women specifically, are at an even greater risk for HIV acquisition and oftentimes lack access to competent care to access primary care. When we think about health centers and all the work that is done with Black communities, we cannot leave HIV prevention and care for Black women out of the conversation.

    To discuss today, we are joined by a panel of experts, Dr. Keosha Bond, Assistant Medical Professor at the City College of New York. Tori Cooper, Director of Community Engagement for the Trans Justice Initiative at Human Rights Campaign, and Dr. Latesha Elopre, Associate Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

    We start this conversation about ways that health centers can improve the engagement of Black cisgender and transgender women in HIV testing, prevention, and care. So if we could start with you, Latesha, how can we improve messaging about HIV prevention and care to improve acceptance of services among all Black women?

    Latesha: Thank you. So, my name's Latesha and my pronouns are she and her, and I am really excited to be able to talk about this topic. I think that when we’re talking about access and we’re talking about it for specific populations, we have to do it in the framing and the understanding that access is not equitable to begin with. So number one, there is a system-level barrier in regards to who's able to receive the services. So when we’re understanding why, we’re seeing inequalities in regards to certain geographic locations. We're talking about things like being in a non-Medicaid expansion state, having poor public transit opportunities available to you where you live, being impoverished, and being a victim of systemic racism, those are all barriers that communities of color face a lot of times on a day-to-day basis that make access difficult.

    But when we're talking about specifically, how do we improve messaging and understanding around PrEP and HIV testing and prevention, I think that we have to do it from a framework where we're not talking about risk, but we're talking about health. And that's something that we haven't been doing well in regards to public health in general. So I've been very excited, I think, where a lot of conversations have been moving and shifting, because right now if you were to ask many people in America right now, do you think you're at risk for HIV? Should you be tested? They would say no. And based on how we've defined risk from a public health standpoint, you know, the answer actually would be not based on CDC guidelines and recommendations, a lot of times would put people, quote-unquote, at risk is nothing more than where you live. And that's social determinants of health that are currently impacting you.

    So, I think we just have to change our messaging, be more sex-positive, be more...

    • 22 min
    Long-Acting Injectable PrEP and HIV Treatment

    Long-Acting Injectable PrEP and HIV Treatment

    This episode, Long-Acting Injectable PrEP and HIV Treatment, is the second in a three-episode series about new evidence-based strategies for addressing HIV and AIDS.


    Guests featured in this episode:

    Jeremiah JohnsonProgram ManagerPrep4All

    Amy Killelea, J.D., Killelea Consulting

    Aviva Cantor, PA-C, AAHIVS, PhD, Callen-Lorde Community Health Center

    Moderator: Alexandra Walker, Digital Communications Director, NACHC

    Alexandra: Hello and welcome to Health Centers on the Frontlines, the podcast of the National Association of Community Health Centers. Today is the second in a three-episode series we're doing about an epidemic that the nation's health centers have been battling for decades: HIV and AIDS. During these episodes, we're sharing promising news about how community health centers, health center controlled networks and primary care associations are employing the latest strategies to link people to ongoing HIV prevention, treatment, and care services.
    Today, we're happy to be joined by a panel of experts, Jeremiah Johnson, who is the Program Manager at Prep4All, an organization of professionals and patients based in New York City who advocate for greater access to lifesaving medication for HIV. Also joining us is Amy Killelea, JD, an expert in policy, medication access, and health care financing to develop sustainable HIV and Hepatitis programs. And Dr. Aviva Cantor, HIV specialist and primary care provider at Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, which serves New York City's lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities.
    So in late 2021, the US public was introduced to a bi-monthly injectable form of PrEP, which stands for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis. Taken in pill form and now also available as an injectable this medication reduces the chance of getting HIV from sex or injection drug use. When taken as prescribed, PrEP is highly effective for preventing HIV, a landmark push to end the HIV epidemic. At the same time, people living with HIV have been introduced to a monthly injectable form of treatment that similarly puts them in charge of their healthcare needs without having to remind themselves to take a daily oral medication. This is revolutionizing the field of treatment and prevention of HIV because we never have had a form of either that was this long lasting. Also, it's exciting news because it expands the number of tools we have in our hands to fight HIV. Health centers have been taking their first steps in implementing these tools. So, starting with our health center guest. Aviva, can you explain to our audience the two types of injectable antiretroviral medication? We've heard that one can be used as PrEP for people who are HIV negative and the other as an HIV treatment for people who are living with HIV. Can you tell us about the similarities and differences?Aviva: Sure. Yeah. So the two medications and we use brand names here. I normally don't like to use brand names, but we’ll use them so that they're more clear for patients in the community. So one is called Cabenuva. That's the medication that's used for HIV treatment. And the other is called Apretude. That is the medication that's used for HIV prevention. What they both have in common are that they are both what I describe to patients and my colleagues as deep intramuscular injections. So they're a little different than your regular intramuscular injections. They have to be done by nurses who have been trained just a little bit differently to make sure they do it the right way. So they're both these deep intramuscular injections. They're actually both now available as bi-monthly or every-two-month injections. They actually sort of follow the same schedule where you're given your initial injection, you're given one one month later as a loading dose, and then you take an injection every two months, every eight weeks, essentially. The big difference between...

    • 20 min
    HIV Status Neutral and Health Centers

    HIV Status Neutral and Health Centers

    The first in a three-part series of conversations about an epidemic health centers have been on the front lines of addressing for decades: HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). In this episode, HIV expert Nick Diamonds leads a conversation about new strategies for preventing HIV transmission.

    Guests featured in this episode:
    Robyn Neblett Fanfair, MD, MPH, Acting Division Director, Division of HIV PreventionCenters for Disease Control and PreventionJuan Carlos Loubriel, Director of Community Health and WellnessWhitman-Walker HealthCraig Thompson, CEO, AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA) HealthModerator: Nick Diamond, Manager, Editorial Services, Elizabeth Glazer Pediatric AIDS Foundation

    Episode transcript


    Episode transcript
    Nick Diamond: I want to start with Robyn by asking you, "What excites you the most about the new evidence based-strategies introduced for people who are HIV negative and want to stay that way?"
    Dr. Robyn Neblett Fanfair: Thanks to a robust toolbox that includes pre-exposure prophylaxis, post-exposure prophylaxis, treatment as prevention, and syringe service programs, we now have more tools than ever available for HIV prevention, and we must realize the full potential of these tools, we understand how important it is to make sure that it gets into the hands of everyone who needs them. So what excites me a lot right now is a status neutral approach to HIV prevention, which we believe can really help improve access, reduce stigma, and help prioritize health equity. So as far as exciting strategies go, it's really about reframing how we think about traditional HIV service models to better reach people where they are with the services that they need. So no matter their HIV status, we know that people need similar health care as well as essential support services. These can include medical care, housing, transportation, and employment. A status neutral approach can create a one door approach for HIV prevention and treatment, which can help normalize both. It eliminates HIV stigma by integrating prevention and care instead of supporting separate systems. And we believe it can enable people to know their status by making HIV testing and next approaches, whether they're behavioral or biomedical prevention, more accessible, and it can advance health equity by connecting people to the services they need regardless of their HIV status. So those are just a few things that I think are really exciting in HIV prevention right now.
    Nick Diamond: And Juan Carlos, I want to turn it over to you to ask about your experience and programs at Whitman-Walker. Would you talk a little bit about what your health center is doing to improve HIV prevention services in the community? I know Robyn just talked about this toolkit; are you seeing the implementation of things in those toolkits at the health center?
    Juan Carlos Loubriel: Yes, indeed. We are very excited about this new approach. Whitman-Walker Health delivers tailored education and sexual health services that are sex-positive and inclusive. Our training and linkage efforts are community-based service delivery interventions. They promote access to effective tools for HIV prevention and timely diagnosis. We also provide immediate access to nPEP (non-occupational post exposure prophylaxis) and PrEP (post exposure prophylaxis) for HIV prevention. We provide early diagnosis and prompt linkage to medical care, including ART (antiretroviral therapy). And these efforts occurred alongside treatment of HIV and other chronic diseases. We strive to eliminate barriers to care. And to do this, we deliver status neutral services and connect clients to medical, behavioral health, harm reduction, and social services through customized risk reduction. Staff provide health literacy and education for clients on...

    • 21 min
    Q&A with Dr. John Hatch, Health Center Pioneer

    Q&A with Dr. John Hatch, Health Center Pioneer

    In this episode, we hear from Dr. John W. Hatch about the history of Community Health Centers and how it intersects with the Civil Rights Movement. Dr. Hatch is a professor emeritus of public health at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and a legend in the health center movement. He was instrumental in establishing one of the nation's first community health centers in Mound Bayou, Mississippi, which was an all African American town founded in the 1860s.

    Dr. Hatch pioneered approaches to addressing social drivers of health and describes building latrines, installing window screens, and starting a farm cooperative to provide affordable, nutritious food to the community. He explains how community input was part of the health center model from the very beginning. He also calls for more activism and policy change to address the challenges facing health centers and their patients today.

    Featured in this Episode

    Benjamin Money Jr
    Senior VP, NACHC
    Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-money-6133436
    Profile: https://www.ncdhhs.gov/about/leadership/benjamin-money

    Dr. John W. Hatch
    Professor Emeritus of Public Health
    University of North Carolina, Chapel Hil

    Chapters

    00:00 Introduction
    01:31 The changing of terms
    02:35 The social drivers and how to address them
    12:30 Moving in the area of environmental health
    15:18 Establishing the Co-op
    16:49 Adding benefits like non-medical things
    21:18 Envisioning what Health Centers could become
    25:12 Continuing the legacy
    29:42 Addressing racial inequality
    34:18 Communities addressing the public health issues
    45:54 The incredible community health workers
    52:54 The communities of today
    56:05 Giving Thanks

    Produced by Heartcast Media.
    www.heartcastmedia.com

    • 47 min
    Work As a Social Driver of Health: How La Casa Family Health Center Identifies Farmworkers

    Work As a Social Driver of Health: How La Casa Family Health Center Identifies Farmworkers

    The pandemic made our nation aware of the importance of the people who raise, pick, and process our food. We now understand that farmworkers, as well as grocery store cashiers and shelf stockers can be counted among our country’s Essential Workers. However, it’s not always clear to the Community Health Center care team what a patient’s occupation is. Occupation is one of the most important social drivers of health, affecting patients’ health and access to healthcare in many different ways. This episode of Health Centers on the Front Lines takes us behind the scenes at a health center and their partner network as they change the culture around disclosure of occupation among patients. Our guests talk about what it takes to collect data about a patient’s occupation and why it improves care when the care team knows what work their patients do.


    Featured in the Episode

    Katherine Chung-Bridges, MD
    Director of Research at Health Choice Network
    Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherine-chung-bridges-8a0127170/

    Daniel Parras
    Research Data Scientist
    Health Choice Network
    Website: https://www.hcnetwork.org/

    Yvonne Armijo
    Director of Operations/Information System Analyst
    La Casa Family Health Center
    Website: https://www.lacasahealth.com/

    Giddel Thom, MD
    Chief Medical Director
    La Casa Family Health Center
    Website: https://www.lacasahealth.com/

    Chapters
    00:00 Introduction
    01:56 The story of dairy farm workers
    07:49 What is occupational data and how does it affect health care?
    10:18 The difficulty of collecting these data
    12:19 The challenge of integrating occupational data into the E-health records
    15:44 The importance of occupation in health and in socioeconomics
    20:00 Reactions when meeting new patients having to know their past medical records
    24:03 Takeaways from our guests

    Produced by Heartcast Media
    https://www.heartcastmedia.com/

    • 24 min
    What to Expect When You Vaccinate Your Child Under 5 for COVID-19

    What to Expect When You Vaccinate Your Child Under 5 for COVID-19

    After a long wait, children younger than 5 are finally eligible to get vaccinated for COVID-19. What does this mean for parents and caregivers? Wanda Montalvo, PhD, RN, FAAN, a senior fellow and team lead for public health integration and innovation at NACHC, interviews pediatrician Lisa Costello, M.D., MPH, about vaccine benefits as well as answers some commonly asked questions.

    For more resources about vaccines, view the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ COVID-19 Public Education Campaign, We Can Do This provider and patient education materials on pediatric COVID-19 vaccines: Resources About COVID-19 Vaccinations for Children

    Key Takeaways
    The systematic process for approving the COVID-19 vaccine for children
    The risk assessment on children getting vaccinated
    The definition of Long CoVid and what it means to children
    Engaging with parents and communities to promote vaccination for children

    Quotes
    From what I've experienced, choosing vaccination is the safest path for the protection of your children - Dr. Costello

    The communities trust their local health care provider and if we provide them with resources, we can do a great deal in improving vaccine confidence - Dr. Costello

    Featured in the Episode
    Wanda Montalvo, PHD, RN, FAAN
    Senior Fellow, Public Health Integration,
    National Association of Community Health Centers
    Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wmontalvophdrn
    Twitter: https://twitter.com/Montalvo501
    Company Website: Nachc.org

    Lisa Costello MD, MPH, FAAP
    Pediatrics Dept. West Virginia University School of Medicine
    Profile: https://directory.hsc.wvu.edu/Profile/35594
    Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-m-costello-b1329391
    Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisacostellowv?lang=en
    Contact Details 304-598-4835

    Chapters
    00:00 Intro and Guest's background
    02:28 the process of approval
    06:37 Risk assessment
    11:25 Long Covid, and what it means to children
    13:34 Promoting children's vaccination
    18:25 post-vaccination for children
    21:43 Final thoughts

    Produced by Heartcast Media
    https://www.heartcastmedia.com

    • 25 min

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