This month CDC features an HIV-infected smoker as part of its highly successful anti-smoking campaign “Tips from Former Smokers," which tells the stories of real people harmed by smoking.
The New England AIDS Education and Training Center (NEAETC) has provided opportunities for physicians and nurses to hone their HIV skills for over 27 years. The HIV epidemic now seems to take a backseat to other trending health related crises in the US; Hepatitis C and Opioid overdoses to name two and yet we continue to receive applications from those looking for a chance to learn HIV practice in some world class institutions of Infectious Disease (ID) care.
Combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) has substantially reduced HIV-related morbidity and mortality in the United States. HIV-infected persons today are living healthier and longer lives with expected lifespans near equal to those of uninfected person if the infection is effectively treated [1]. CDC estimates that by year 2020, over half of the HIV-infected persons in the United States will be aged 50 years or older [2].
May was Mental Health Awareness month. How aware of mental health issues are we in our own lives as well as in those we treat every day? As HIV care providers, how often do we hear “I am so down,” “I haven’t had fun in so long,” or “I’m so stressed.” Often in our patient’s lives everything becomes a problem, so do we truly recognize the stress they may be experiencing? With clinic visits becoming shorter and patient volume growing larger, checking in on a person’s mood often falls by the wayside.
In 2006, Massachusetts passed comprehensive health insurance reform in order to provide almost universal coverage for its residents. In doing so, the state introduced several health care reforms, which have become the foundation for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and made MA the model for the Ryan White Program in a post-health care reform environment. Reforms included an individual mandate, Medicaid expansion, and increased access to subsidized private insurance and resulted in improved health outcomes and reduced health care costs for all residents.
May is National Viral Hepatitis Awareness Month. We are at an exciting time in HCV awareness, screening and treatment.
How many times have you dozed off during a conference or webinar? It is easy to lose focus with educational formats that require little or no interaction. When we want to learn something fun and new, what methods do we choose? I bet a lot of us go to YouTube to watch short videos, go to Pinterest for ideas, or we turn to blog sites and other online communities for answers and instructions to tackle tasks. Why should continuing education for healthcare providers be any different?
