TITLE
Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute any necessary documents or amendments to the current agreement between the City of Long Beach and the State Department of Health Services, in the amount of $332,500, for the provision of HIV/AIDS preventive health services for the period of July 1, 2013 through December 31, 2013. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
Since 1988, the State Department of Health Services (State) has contracted with the City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (Health Department) to provide both anonymous and confidential targeted HIV testing services. Anonymous and confidential targeted HIV testing in our health care setting is performed, most often by rapid testing, with and without counseling. Targeted testing takes place based on patient requests and/or as assessed due to results of a client self-assessment questionnaire. The questionnaire is used to determine whether the patient will receive a low-risk or high-risk intervention.
Targeted HIV testing services in healthcare settings are provided in the family planning, Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD), and Tuberculosis (TB) ambulatory clinics. When mobile clinic outings are staffed by licensed midlevel practitioners, HIV testing is provided at venues frequented by individuals considered to be at risk. Often, patients are referred for testing services to the ambulatory STD Clinic site by community providers and Health Department staff working in mental health, Women, Infant and Child, public health nursing or other services due to identified risk behaviors by these providers. Additionally, the mobile clinic provides testing at the health centers located at the Long Beach community college campuses, Cal State University Dominguez Hills and Cal State University Long Beach, and the Sunburst Academy National Guard Youth Foundation. The mobile clinic also provides testing at The Children’s Clinic, one of our community health centers.
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