COVID-19 Response

The MWAETC has received 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) funding from the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) to provide technical assistance and training to clinicians and other HIV care professionals in the Mountain West region to support their response to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly as it pertains to people with and at risk for HIV.

Funds are being used to help providers prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19.

MWAETC COVID-19 activities include:

Preparing for and Responding to a Changed Health Care Environment

• Implementing a rapid needs assessment of training, technical assistance (TA), and support for providers adapting to COVID-19 in the provision of HIV prevention, diagnostic, and treatment services.
• Providing TA to prepare for COVID testing implementation and integrated health screening
• Hosting region-wide webinars and providing consultation on current and evolving changes to substance use treatment policies and access to opioid medications resulting from the COVID-19 epidemic.
• Delivering web-based training and technical assistance on providing dental care in the COVID-19 environment

Building Telemedicine Capacity

• Increasing the uptake of and capacity for telemedicine by teaching health care workers and systems how to use telehealth effectively and safely by:
  • Hosting a region-wide series of webinars on regulatory and reimbursement policies, technology, clinical training and workflow, COVID19 specific applications, and quality improvement/assessment
  • Developing a telemedicine toolkit
  • Offering individualized consultations to select Ryan White and safety net clinics
  • Providing state-specific telemedicine TA and capacity building support

Supporting the Health Care Workforce

• Providing region-wide webinars, a virtual community of practice, and a series of podcasts on self-care, resiliency, and responding to trauma for providers
• Implementing site-specific TA for staff support programs at select Ryan White clinics

Assuring Providers have Timely Clinical Information

• Supporting on-going development, content updating, and dissemination of information on the COVID-19 treatment website, with a focus on overlapping content related to HIV and COVID-19.
• Hosting region-wide webinars that address COVID-19 and HIV, and issues of concern related to HIV prevention and care in the COVID-19 environment
• Including COVID-19 information and case discussion during HIV ECHO sessions
• Adding COVID-19 content to our website.
• Disseminating COVID-19 tools and information
• Coordinating a state-specific Covid-19 management and case discussion series