NC LINK Accomplishments 2012

In 2012, (NC-LINK) completed its first year and began its second year of four total years of funding from a HRSA Ryan White SPNS grant, as part of the Systems Linkages and Access to Care for Populations at High Risk of HIV Infection Initiative.  The grant was administered to the NC DHHS Communicable Disease Branch, and is a partnership between the NC DHHS, Duke University and UNC Chapel Hill, with participation from two pilot intervention sites: Wake Forest University Health Sciences (WFUHS) and East Carolina University (ECU).

NC-LINK collected ongoing process data to test our intervention strategies and activities to link, retain and reengage people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in consistent care. This is being accomplished via a two-year Learning Collaborative and a corresponding Plan Do Study Act data collection that cycles with WFUHS, ECU and the NC DHHS study sites.  As part of the Learning Collaborative and an effort to have active participation from NC-LINK partners, the project hosted two successful two-day Learning Sessions in April and November, as well as a mid-point Webinar in July.

In addition, NC-LINK completed the baseline formative evaluation, which consisted of more than twenty stakeholder interviews with HIV clinical and ancillary care providers and state employees from around North Carolina with the goal of obtaining a complete picture of the HIV prevention and care system in North Carolina. Building on this research, CHPIR staff performed two oral presentations—the first at the UNC Symposium on HIV Care, and the second at the Ryan White SPNS Grantee Meeting.

Publications and Presentations

• Hosted NC-LINK Learning Session 1 for all project partners: April 11-12, 2012.
• Quinlivan EB, Messer LC, Clymore J. “NC-LINK Project: Testing, Linking and Keeping Patients in Care” Oral presentation at the UNC Symposium on HIV Care in 2012: Trends in Clinical Care and Caring for Vulnerable Populations. Chapel Hill, NC. May 7, 2012.
• Hosted NC-LINK Midpoint Webinar for all project partners: July 16, 2012.
• Klein E,  Quinlivan EB, Sullivan K, Parnell H. “NC-LINK Project” Oral presentation at the 2012 Ryan White SPNS Grantee Meeting Washington, DC. September 11-12, 2012.
• Hosted NC-LINK Learning Session 2 for all project partners: November 15-16, 2012.