The Houston Health Department (HHD) requests City Council approval of an ordinance to authorize a third amendment to an agreement between the City of Houston and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston for routine HIV screening services to extend the term of the agreement to December 31, 2018.
The funding for this program is provided by a grant from the CDC. The current grant expires on 12/31/2017. The CDC grant for 2018 has been applied for but HHD has not received the Notice of Award. Due to the delay in the Notice of Award from the CDC, HHD cannot add funding to this agreement at this time. However, the dept. would like to keep the contract in place so that we can immediately utilize funds once they are awarded. Council is therefore asked to amend the contract to extend the term only. Once funds are awarded HHD will return to Council to increase the maximum contract amount to this agreement.
Under this contract The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston contracts with Memorial Hermann Hospital System to provide routine HIV opt-out screening services at area emergency rooms where it offers medical care. The routine screening program increases our capacity to test the general population and screen those that may not normally be tested because of their lack of insurance.
The target population includes all individuals accessing emergency services within the Memorial Hermann Hospital System, ages 18-65. The existing protocol is ACTS (Assess, Consent, Test, Support).Once a newly-positive individual is identified HHD will ensure follow-up including notification of results, performance of Partner Counseling and Referral Services as well as linkage to HIV primary care services. In 2015 99,462 individuals were tested. Of those 1059 were positive and received the follow-up services.
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Stephen L. Williams M.Ed., M.P.A.
Director