We forgot HIV. Or at least, many people who never had the disease have stopped thinking about it.
A new class of drugs has enabled people with the virus to live longer and healthier lives, making the virus undetectable.
Then this summer’s monkeypox outbreak brought back memories of the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s. In Travis County, 176 people have monkeypox. Monkeypox causes a painful rash and is often transmitted through close contact, such as kissing or sex. There were 225 cases in the region and 2,268 cases statewide.
The monkeypox epidemic disproportionately affects men who have sex with other men, with many of the more serious cases occurring among HIV-positive people.
One of the groups at the forefront of this outbreak is Vivent Health, which took over Austin’s AIDS services in 2020.
“Vivent’s vision is to advocate relentlessly for those living with HIV,” said James Greer, senior vice president of Vivent Health’s Texas and Colorado operations.
HIV in Austin:Federal, local authorities aim to reduce infections
When monkeypox first began to occur in the United States, Vivent Health created a task force to quickly educate them about the virus and develop plans for testing and vaccination when a vaccine became available. did. This effort has helped community groups and government health officials disseminate relevant information.
The challenge was to reach out to people in affected demographic groups and inform them about the vaccine.
Growing threat:Austin, Travis County leaders declare monkeypox a public health emergency
Vivent Health is doing this at its new location in Austin, which opened in May. Previously, the service housed him in three separate locations. The new 30,000 square foot facility on Airport Boulevard now offers a full range of services including medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, nutrition, food pantry, legal, housing support and case management.
The $5 million building was funded by donors, including $1 million from the St. David Foundation, as part of a $28 million fall grant to 48 local nonprofits. The St. David’s Foundation is funded by profits from the operations of the hospitals and clinics of St. David’s HealthCare.
Vivent Health also received $244,800 to help coordinate care for people living with HIV and those at high risk of HIV.
“Grants received from other sources do not always cover all costs of being able to provide services,” said Greer. The St. David’s grant was “very important to us. St. David’s has been a great resource for us.”
Vivent Health serves approximately 2,500 people, primarily targeting the LGBTQ community and people of color who are underserved in healthcare and at high risk of HIV. Vivent is insured, but we also provide care for the uninsured.
Things to know:Find out more about monkeypox
A full-service pharmacy can be provided for all medications for patients, including HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis that reduces HIV viral load to undetectable levels. This could become all the more important after a Texas judge ruled in September that he didn’t have to have insurance companies pay for his PrEP medication for religious reasons. .
By locating all services in one building, Vivent Health was able to reduce the transportation burden faced by many of its customers. It also aims to improve patient outcomes. This is because patients are more likely to receive coordinated care and more likely to receive additional care that they may not otherwise have sought.
“We can do a warm handoff to each service area,” says Greer.
It also means that staff under one roof are working together more effectively and efficiently.
Vivent Health continues to expand its services and admit new patients. Appointments can be made through the website viventhealth.org/locations/austin. The address is 6505 Airport Blvd., Suite 100 and the phone number is 512-458-2437.
