Baltimore Medical System wins renewal of 2 grants to treat HIV

Baltimore Medical System (BMS), the largest Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) system in Maryland, was awarded renewals of both a federal and local grant to continue its work to increase HIV testing, prevention, and treatment in Baltimore as part of the national “Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S.” initiative.

The first renewal comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), which is awarding BMS nearly $1.2 million over three years.

With this grant, BMS, in partnership with the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing AIDS Education and Training Curriculum (AETC) program and the Baltimore City Health Department, has added new staff, resources and processes to increase the number of patients counseled and tested for HIV, increase the number of patients prescribed pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), and increase the number of patients linked to HIV care and treatment.

To date, BMS has expanded universal testing, point-of-care testing, and linkage to care initiatives. The continuation of the grant will support Community Health Workers who identify and counsel patients, work within patient’s electronic health records as well as directly with providers to detect at-risk individuals, encourage testing, personalized follow-up, and education surrounding PrEP, a drug used to reduce the chance of contracting HIV from sex or injection drug use, and non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis (nPEP), a drug used to prevent HIV infection after exposure.

BMS will also develop an educational marketing campaign aimed at addressing the stigmas of HIV and encouraging patients to seek care and treatment.

In addition, BMS also recently received a grant renewal to support HIV testing, prevention, and treatment from the Baltimore City Health Department which will award BMS $800,000 over four years. BMS, in partnership with the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing AETC program, is focusing its efforts on increasing safe sex practices in at-risk patient populations, increasing HIV screenings as part of routine medical care, and decreasing the prevalence of HIV and AIDS in the BMS patient population.

Both grants will also support a dedicated clinical pharmacist who provides medication counseling, helps coordinate care, and supports both patients and prescribers.

BMS operates eight health centers, five pharmacies and eight school-based health sites in Baltimore, serving more than 60,000 patients annually, including those who are underserved and uninsured.