A number of services and resources are available throughout the state to assist health care providers needing assistance with HIV prevention, treatment, care, implementation of testing requirements, and assistance in delivering test results.
Directory Assistance for Staff and Patients: Delaware Resource Guide 2019-21:
The Delaware Resource Guide is a convenient directory that lists over 200 agencies and programs throughout Delaware that provide HIV/AIDS services and related resources. Written in both English and Spanish, information can be found on services such as case management, crisis help, HIV counseling and testing, housing programs, medical resources, and supportive services. The Resource Guide is available for both staff and patients—free of charge—from the Delaware HIV Consortium by calling 302-654-5471. An Online Resource Guide is also available here.
Pennsylvania/MidAtlantic AIDS Education Training Center (AETC):
AIDS Education Training Centers (AETCs) are organizations that can provide a range of assistance to providers and patients alike. The federal Health Resources Services Administration funds eleven AETCs nationally, with every state having access to an AETC. Each AETC subcontracts to Local Performance Sites (LPS), of which there are currently 130.
Delaware is part of the Pennsylvania/MidAtlantic AETC whose Center Headquarters is located at the University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public Health in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Information on the Pennsylvania/MidAtlantic AETC can be found here. Offices of the DE LPS are located within the Christiana Care Health Services at the Wilmington Hospital Annex.
The DE LPS provides HIV/AIDS related didactic trainings, skill building workshops, clinical training, clinical consultation and technical assistance to healthcare providers statewide—custom designed to match the educational objectives of each provider. The DE LPS staff can travel to any setting to provide trainings tailored to providers’ specific needs; and many trainings provide nursing continuing education credits. Staff of the DE LPS (listed below) are available by phone at 302-320-1404.
AETC Staff:
- Adam Skrzynski, M.D., Regional Director
- Brian Wharton, MSN, RN, CPEN, CPST, Regional Coordinator
- Taylor A. Thompson, BS, Community Educator
- Lori Collier, Community Educator
In addition to the LPS, there are four national centers and the International Training and Education Center. The four national centers and their services are as follows:
- National HIV/AIDS Clinicians’ Consultation Center offers rapid, free, state-of-the-art clinical consultation for managing HIV/AIDS and occupational exposures to blood-borne pathogens through three sites:
Warmline (National HIV/AIDS Telephone Consultation Service
- at 800-933-3413 provides clinical advice on HIV/AIDS management.
PEPline (National Clinicians’ Post-Exposure Prophylaxis Hotline
- at 888-488-4911 provides around the clock expert guidance in managing health care worker exposures to HIV and Hepatitis B and C.
Perinatal Hotline (National Perinatal HIV Consultation and Referral Service
at 888-448-8765 provides around the clock advice on in indications and interpretations of standard and rapid HIV testing in pregnancy as well as consultation on antiretroviral use in pregnancy, labor and delivery, and postpartum period.
- The AETC National Resource Center (NRC) provides healthcare professionals with easy access to HIV/AIDS education and training resources and timely, high-quality, state-of-the-art clinical information.
- National Minority AIDS Education and Training Center works with Ryan White funded providers to increase the capacity of minority HIV clinical organizations.
- AETC National Evaluation Center provides evaluation development and technical support to the AETC program’s network.
- Assistance With Delivering Test Results and Providing Referral Information: Providers interested in receiving assistance in delivering test results and providing referral information can contact the Delaware HIV Consortium at 302-654-5471. The Consortium can link providers with staff members of either Delaware’s AETC or an AIDS Service Organization (ASO) who can be present to help deliver test results, provide linkages to care, and assist with other needed referrals.
Generally, assistance is requested in the case of positive test results. However, unusual circumstances surrounding initial negative test results—when patients feel they still may be positive—have sometimes triggered the need for assistance, as well. AETC and ASO staff members can be on hand to provide assurance, linkages to treatment, and referrals to other services that may be required.