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DHWDC News
News Updates from the
Division of Health, Wellness and Disease Control (DHWDC) of the Michigan
Department of Community Health (formerly DHAS)
THE STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE (former) DIVISION OF HIV/AIDS-STD
http://www.michigan.gov/mdch/0,1607,7-132-2940_2955_2982-72257--,00.html
Exceptional Public Health Official Honored by NASTAD
Liisa M. Randall, PhD. was honored by the National Alliance of State &
Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) with one of its prestigious Nicholas A.
Rango Leadership Awards at NASTAD’s 2006 Annual Meeting, held recently in
Washington, D.C.
The award is named in honor of a founding member of NASTAD, Dr. Nicholas A.
Rango, who died of AIDS in 1993. It is given annually to NASTAD members
who best exemplify Dr. Rango’s qualities of superior intelligence, dedication,
government activism and tenacity.
Randall, one of three state health department HIV/AIDS program staff honored
this year by NASTAD, is currently Manager of HIV Prevention Partnerships for the
MDCH Division of Health, Wellness and Disease Control, HIV/AIDS Prevention and
Intervention Section (HAPIS). She has nearly 20 years of progressive experience
in health policy and strategic planning and evaluation. Her expertise in health
promotion and disease prevention, social and behavioral science and
community-based health planning has helped guide HAPIS’ nationally recognized
prevention work here in Michigan as well a make her a valued member of the
NASTAD Prevention Advisory Committee. She has provided technical assistance to
her colleagues in the U.S. and abroad through NASTAD’s Domestic and Global TA
Programs.
NASTAD honored Liisa Randall this year with the Rango Award “for her unflagging
attention to the quality, coherence and feasibility of proposed CDC evaluation
requirements in the Program Evaluation Monitoring System (PEMS).”
Randall holds a PhD in Medical Anthropology from Michigan State University, and
has published several articles and reports on counseling and testing, program
management, community planning and capacity building.
DHWDC - HAPIS Update March 2006
HAPIS Loses Care Leader
Jane DuFrane led the nationally recognized Continuum of Care (COC) program from
1990 until she moved to Arizona at the end of January. During this time, her
quality team of staff expanded as statewide care programs were developed to
respond to the needs of Michigan’s HIV-infected population. Michigan’s AIDS Drug
Assistance Program was created and managed without restrictions, and a dental
program was created in response to an identified need from a periodic needs
assessment. COC staff developed a national model Uniform Reporting System (URS)
for the monitoring of care services, and case management services were improved
with better training programs and development of principles and standards. COC
Program Operations Coordinator Patrick Yankee is the interim COC Unit manager.
The following report has been edited from the Division’s HAPIS Update for March
2006.
Continuum of Care Unit
AIDS Drug Assistance Program (DAP)
As of March 9, 2006 there are 2,116 clients on the DAP. To date the DAP has
spent in excess of $11 million on prescription medications and vaccines for
eligible clients.
Beginning January 27, 2005 the DAP began the annual renewal process. All
currently eligible clients were sent the FY2006 renewal information to complete
prior to their March 31, 2006 eligibility end date. As of March 9, 2006, the DAP
staff has processed over 700 renewal applications.
The DAP continues to offer eligible clients up to five free viral load tests,
five CD4/CD8 tests and two free genotype tests per calendar year. From April 1
through September 30, 2005, the State of Michigan Laboratories conducted 1012
Viral Load tests, 990 CD4/CD8 tests.
Over the past two years, the DHWDC has been working on contracting with a
Pharmacy Benefits Manager (PBM) to provide real time electronic, point-of-sale
(POS) claims processing of DAP pharmacy claims. In December DAP started
utilizing the services of the Pharmacy Benefits Manager (PBM), RxAmerica for
prescriptions claims processing. Prescription claims are now accessed for client
eligibility and processed electronically at the point of sale. DAP clients now
present a more traditional prescription card to the participating pharmacy of
their choice and now have access to a pharmacy network of over 1500 retail and
independent pharmacy locations.
DAP utilizes a Formulary Committee to discuss and provide recommendations to the
Division regarding medications for the DAP Drug Formulary. This Committee
consists of infectious disease clinicians, DAP and other Division staff,
pharmacists, and persons living with HIV in Michigan.
Michigan Dental Program (MDP)
During 2005 the Michigan Dental Program (MDP) expended $648,972.00 on dental
services for 764 clients. Effective May 1, 2005, after approximately a year of
suspended enrollment, MDP began accepting new clients. As of March 1, 2006,
1,329 clients are currently enrolled on the program. The MDP offers a
comprehensive list of services to eligible clients. All services are required to
be pre-approved, via submission of a dental care plan by the treating dentist.
As of March 1, 2006, there are 222 dental providers participating with the MDP.
CARE-Ware
The URS staff continue to test a new CARE-Ware 4 system , which will be setup as
a centralized database that providers can access over the Internet. The new
system will enhance data reporting and analysis at the same time that it
facilitates service delivery to clients. Providers are asked to refrain from
upgrading to CARE-Ware 4 on their own, so that the system can be tested and set
up consistently across the state.
Participation in Quality Collaborative
MDCH continues to participate in the national Title II Quality Collaborative.
The goal is to improve care for people living with HIV disease by developing an
effective and actionable quality management plan that addresses four main areas
for improvement: 1) alignment across jurisdictions and services to support
common quality standards; 2) integration of data and information systems for
information sharing and performance measurement; 3) access to care and retention
in care of HIV/AIDS clients, and 4) optimization of resources.
Core Public Health Services Unit
Quality Assurance
DHWDC Consultant Robert Barrie has begun the third year of agency accreditation
reviews, which serve to assist local health departments enhance their delivery
of HIV prevention services around HIV/AIDS counseling, partner counseling and
referral services, client return rates for test results, and maintaining client
record confidentiality. Barrie is also currently involved in work with a new
task force on harm reduction efforts to help improve related services among
agencies along the I-94 and I-96 corridors.
Title IV Program
This program supports services for children, adolescents, women and families
living with HIV/AIDS. (See the Fall Issue of Michigan HIV and STD News.) At
present, the program is involved in a variety of projects including: working
with medical subcontracted agencies on improving the rate of pap smears for
women who attend Title IV funded agencies; conducting follow up with medical
providers and/or hospitals for compliance with HIV testing of pregnant women;
and distribution of brochures titled: One Test May Save Your Baby’s Life and
It’s the Law!
Partner Counseling and Referral Services
Through this program, HIV-infected clients are counseled on the importance of
notifying their at- risk sexual and/or needle-sharing partners so they may be
offered confidential HIV prevention counseling and an opportunity to test for
the presence of HIV. Clients are also informed of the various methods available
to assist with the notification process through local public health and their
private provider.
PCRS staff are implementing a revised form to help facilitate early access by
newly infected individuals into care and case management services, revising a
PCRS guidance publication, and developing a new document for local public
health, to address Health Threat to Others Situations. They are also
collaborating with MDCH HIV/AIDS Surveillance to facilitate physician/provider
education around PCRS. And in keeping up with the times, they are in development
of draft protocol to promote PCRS Internet use so that additional at-risk
partners may be reached and provided appropriate prevention services.
Community Partnerships – Prevention Unit
Comprehensive Risk Counseling and Services
Currently staff is updating the Prevention Case Management section of the
Quality Assurance Standards for HIV Prevention Interventions. Changes will
include the new name that the CDC is using for this intervention to lessen
confusion with Care Case Management. The new name, which better reflects the
intent of the intervention is Comprehensive Risk Counseling and Services (CRCS).
Other changes include greater emphasis on the structure of CRCS, qualifications
of staff providing CRCS Core Components of the intervention and changes in the
types of clients to which CRCS is will be targeted.
Michigan is currently in its last year of a pilot project on Prevention Case
Management, and will utilize the many lessons learned while conducting the
intervention over the past 4 years. The HAPIS Request for Proposals for HIV
Prevention programs will include the CRCS intervention this year.
HAPIS has submitted an abstract entitled “Michigan’s Experience: Prevention Case
Management” to the upcoming HIV Prevention Leadership Summit in June.
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