| | Welcome to Exclamation Point!,
the Alive! Maryland Monthly Newsletter June 2023 Exclamation Point! is your straight-to-the-point monthly newsletter for Maryland's primary care and infectious disease workforce, brought to your inbox by Alive! Maryland. Each month we will feature key trainings and webinars, upcoming events, job opportunities, and other resources to help you in your work. We'll also highlight some of the impactful work and diverse perspectives of your colleagues across the State. In this issue: - Points of View: Provider Perspectives
- Action Points: Upcoming Events
- Key Points: Featured Resources
- Job Openings
Want to spread the word about a job opening or funding opportunity from your organization? Know a special healthcare provider in Maryland who deserves the spotlight? Let us know by contacting info@AliveMaryland.org. Alive! Maryland is here to help you help Marylanders! | | | | | |  | Points of View: Provider Perspectives | | Each month we will highlight a Maryland provider in this section whose work is helping bring the State alive. If you have a colleague you think deserves some appreciation, let us know! Please email info@AliveMaryland.org and include the provider's name, role and affiliation, and contact details. We'll then reach out to your colleague with some brief interview questions. | | | | David A. Perez (he/him), Primary Care Nurse Practitioner at Johns Hopkins Medicine Establishing and maintaining bonds between patients and providers is vital for improving health outcomes, not only to foster a welcoming environment but also to ensure that patients feel comfortable sharing their experiences. This is especially important for primary care providers, as they are often the starting point for patients in various stages of life and care. David A. Perez grew up watching his mother, a Registered Nurse, care for others and apply these principles, which inspired him to enter the healthcare field himself. Now a Primary Care Nurse Practitioner at Johns Hopkins Medicine and a HealthHIV HIV Prevention Certified Provider (HIVPCP), October 2023 will mark his 25th year in healthcare. With interests in primary care, internal medicine, and LGBTQ+ inclusive care, Perez is passionate about bettering the state of healthcare in Maryland. Read the interview below to learn how he works toward this goal! | | | | | | | |  | Action Points: Upcoming Events | |  | National HIV Testing Day - Tuesday, June 27, 2023 - National HIV Testing Day is observed annually on June 27. This day encourages people ages 13 and above to get tested for HIV at least once as part of their routine healthcare.
- The 2023 theme for National HIV Testing Day is “Take the Test & Take the Next Step” and emphasizes the steps everyone can take once they know their HIV status.
- Pregnant persons should be tested for HIV, syphilis, hepatitis, and other infectious diseases. All sexual partners of pregnant persons should be encouraged to undergo HIV testing if their HIV status is unknown.
- At the end of 2020, it is estimated that 3,257 people living with HIV in Maryland remain undiagnosed, which underscores the importance of HIV testing.
Learn more about National HIV Testing Day and download shareable resources by clicking the button below. | | | | | | Maryland Pride Month Events Below is a schedule of Pride Month events throughout the State. Click on the link for more information about each event. | | | |  | Budgeting and Maximizing Program Income - Thursday, June 22, 2023 This upcoming live webinar is part of the new Fiscal Health Academy from Alive! Maryland. Please see the "Key Points: Featured Resources" section of this newsletter for more information about the series, including additional trainings. The presentation on Thursday, June 22, 2023 at 11:00am ET will start with a review of program income requirements. The faculty will discuss the definition of program income, sources of program income, and the allowable and unallowable uses or program income in accordance with the Uniform Guidance and Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) programmatic and legislative requirements. The presentation will cover the recipient/subrecipient relationship as it relates to program income and the monitoring requirements for tracking and spending program income funds. The faculty will utilize case studies to identify sources of program income and methods for tracking and allocating program income, particularly from multiple funding streams. There will also be a discussion of how to budget program income and utilize program income to expand programming and services. Presentation Outline: - Identify the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program program income requirements
- Describe examples of program income
- Discuss methods for tracking, monitoring, and spending program income
- Review methods to budget and spend program income
Please note that continuing education credits are not available for this activity. | | | | If you are unable to attend the live event, you still need to register so that, after the live event has ended, you receive an email with access to the recording as well as links to download materials. | | | | | | Announcing Pride Month Webinar Series:
Walking with Tribal Youth on Their Sacred Journey In recognition of Pride Month, the Center of Excellence on LGBTQ+ Behavioral Health Equity will be hosting a four-part webinar series on Supporting Native LGBTQ+ and Two-Spirit youth! Join us every week in the month of June for the following sessions: - Embarking on a Journey: Where Have We Been? - Monday, June 5, 1-3pm ET
- Understanding How to Support Tribal Youth - Monday, June 12, 1-3pm ET
- What Do We Need to Embark on This Journey? - Tuesday, June 20, 1-3pm ET
- Panel Focusing on Lived Experience
- Monday, June 26, 1-3pm ET Each session will begin and end with a breathing exercise and acknowledgment of attendees tending to their own spirit. Attendees are encouraged to attend all four sessions to embark upon this journey of learning together. | | | | | | HIV is Primary:
A Mini Symposium for Primary Care Providers in Suburban Maryland Ending the HIV Epidemic Jurisdictions
Thursday, June 29, 2023 Prince George’s & Montgomery Counties are Phase I Ending the HIV Epidemic jurisdictions because of our high relative rates of HIV infection. Primary care providers are critical front line partners in regional efforts to end HIV. This training will prepare clinicians to implement CDC recommended HIV screening practices and contextualize screening as a gateway to HIV treatment or prevention, depending on screening results. This module is available in person to clinicians practicing in Prince George’s and/or Montgomery County, Maryland. Click the button below for more details about this day-long, free event and to register. | | | | | |  | Key Points: Featured Resources | | | | Capacity Building Assistance from Alive! Maryland Our Point-to-Point Team is here to make capacity building assistance (CBA) work for you. Point-to-Point is your CBA resource for the State of Maryland’s HIV, viral hepatitis, STIs, and harm reduction workforce and your organizations as you continue the fight against the epidemics in Maryland. We offer capacity building assistance in the following areas: - Organizational Infrastructure
- Fiscal Administration
- Data Collection Management and Reporting
- Service Provision
- And more!
To request capacity building assistance from Alive! Maryland, click the button to the left or visit AliveMaryland.org/cba. | | | | | | Fiscal Health Academy:
A New Training Series for Maryland Providers The Fiscal Health Academy consists of three webinars and two on-demand trainings. The webinars will provide participants with a foundational overview of and effective strategies for managing multiple funding streams, monitoring contracts and subrecipients, and budgeting and maximizing program income. The on-demand trainings cover grant writing strategies for providers and budget planning for nonprofits. The Fiscal Health Academy includes the following trainings: Access the series by clicking the button to the left. | | | | | |  | Identifying and Addressing Implicit Biases in Healthcare Implicit biases involve associations outside conscious awareness that can lead to negative, inaccurate, or unfair evaluations of a person on the basis of identity or social status. Evidence indicates that healthcare professionals exhibit the same levels of implicit bias as the wider population based on race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, and socioeconomic status. Provider bias can lead to poorer health outcomes in already-marginalized patients. It also influences a provider's approach to diagnosis, treatment, and levels of care. This e-learning module discusses the difference between explicit and implicit biases, the types of bias present in healthcare, and how to identify and change these biases in yourself and others. 1.5 continuing education credits (CME, CNE, CPE, AAPA, ASWB, APA, IPCE) are available for this activity. | | | | | | Medication Cost Support Options This document from NASTAD details helpful information and contacts for Pharmaceutical Company Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs) and Cost-Sharing Assistance Programs for HIV Treatment. | | | | | |  | Share Your Thoughts on the State of HIV Prevention and Care in 2023 Take the HealthHIV State of HIV Care Fifth Annual National Survey by clicking the button below. Your responses will help us create relevant advocacy, education, research, and training activities for healthcare professionals involved in HIV prevention and care. | | | | | | | |  | | | Behavioral Health Coordinator and Grant Monitor, MDH Local Health Location: Howard County Description: The main role of this position as the Systems Management Provider Coordinator and Grant Monitor is to lead and administer a variety of system level projects, including the behavioral health expansion of substance use disorder (SUD) in Howard County. Additional tasks include system level response through technical assistance to behavioral health providers, complaint/critical incident investigation/resolution with behavioral health providers, audits and performance improvement plan follow-up with behavioral health providers, and approval of uninsured exceptions. Deadline: June 20, 2023 | | | | | | Harm Reduction Program Manager, MDH Infectious Disease & Environmental Health Services Location: Baltimore City Description: The main purpose of this full-time contractual position is to oversee administrative activities related to special projects, including the implementation of the STOP Act of 2022. This position will serve as the primary point of contact for any questions related to the STOP Act implementation, as well as schedule and lead meetings with entities named in the STOP Act, and provide education about the STOP Act naloxone mandate. Deadline: June 30, 2023 | | | | | | Outbreak Capacity Disease Intervention Specialist, MDH Infectious Disease & Environmental Health Services Location: Baltimore City (travel throughout the State required) Description: The main purpose of this full-time contractual position is to serve as the Outbreak Capacity Disease Intervention Specialist (DIS) in the Center for Sexually Transmitted Infection Prevention (CSTIP). This position will identify, notify, interview, and link people who are diagnosed with Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), including HIV, to testing, treatment and care. This position will also conduct partner elicitation and notification. This position will be required to respond swiftly and efficiently to other critical public health outbreaks in Maryland. This position is 100% remote. This position will require travel throughout the State of Maryland, in order to successfully perform job duties. Deadline: June 30, 2023 | | | | | | Administrator, MDH Infectious Disease & Environmental Health Services Location: Baltimore City (travel throughout the State required) Description: The main purpose of this full-time contractual position will be to oversee the training and deployment of 20 CHWs (responsible for providing outreach) via the Local Health Department and selected Community Based Organization(s) for the Community Project. This position will also oversee the HBCUs evaluation and assessment (re: COVID-19) for the Assessment Process. Deadline: Open / Continuous | | | | | | | | | | Point of Contact
Please reach out to Melissa Kelley, Alive! Maryland Program Director, at info@AliveMaryland.org with
any questions, feedback, or submissions. For all CDC specific related training and technical assistance CTS Tracking Requests, you may contact Tawanna Davis, Tawanna.Davis@maryland.gov.
Click the button below to request capacity building assistance for your organization. | | | | | | About Alive! Maryland The Maryland Department of Health engaged with HealthHIV to launch Alive! Maryland. ALIVE! stands for Assess, Learn, Integrate, Visualize, Engage — representing each phase of the program. Alive! Maryland is a motivational call to action to build capacity to improve health in Maryland. This initiative will provide Maryland providers with a web-based, self-paced virtual training institute, many CEU opportunities, direct training and technical assistance, and resource development. All resources, trainings, and tools are free and housed on a user-friendly and accessible website: AliveMaryland.org. | | | | | |  | HealthHIV
HealthHIV.org 1630 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 500 | Washington, DC 20009
202.232.6749 | info@healthhiv.org © 2022 HealthHIV | All rights reserved. | | | | | | | | | |
