Join the DAETC, North Dakota Health & Human Services Sexually Transmitted Bloodborne Diseases Unit, and Community HealthCare Association of the Dakotas (CHAD) for an engaging virtual seminar on “Integrating HIV Testing, Management, and Prevention in Primary Care.”
Presented by Jennifer Sobolik, CNP, AACRN, AAHIVS, sexual and reproductive health provider at Complete Health in Rapid City, SD, this seminar will cover essential best practices for effectively caring for people with or at increased risk for acquiring HIV and seamlessly integrating these practices into primary care.
This seminar is a must-attend for all primary care clinicians who care for individuals at risk of acquiring HIV and individuals living with HIV, placing a particular emphasis on addressing primary care management issues related to HIV. Get ready to explore the vital topics of HIV testing, management, and prevention/PrEP in primary care, and equip yourself with the knowledge to provide exceptional care in this critical area. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to expand your expertise and make a meaningful difference!
October 16 | 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. CT
HIV Pathophysiology and HIV Testing
9:00 – 10:00 am CT
In part one of this virtual seminar, the presenter will introduce screening and diagnostic criteria to establish core competence in testing for HIV, recognizing acute HIV infection, and linking persons diagnosed with HIV to medical care. The session will highlight how HIV causes illness and discuss the foundations of testing and providing HIV care. Public health professionals and primary care providers play a critical role in improving the health of people living with HIV, reducing new HIV infections, and reducing HIV-related illnesses.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Understand the basic pathophysiology of HIV and how it causes illness
- Recognize common symptoms of HIV and identify how HIV is acquired and not acquired
- Understand the basics of person-first language related to HIV
- Understand CDC guidelines and the importance of testing for HIV in primary care
- Outline what laboratory tests are used to identify and confirm HIV
HIV Management in Primary Care
10:10 – 11:10 a.m. CT
During part two of this virtual seminar, the presenter will address the goals and components of the initial evaluation of persons with HIV who are entering, reentering, or transferring into care. Primary care for people with HIV is similar to primary care for people without HIV, but there are some unique considerations. Emphasis will be placed on the prevention and management of infectious and non-infectious complications in persons with HIV. Integrating HIV-related services into primary care and understanding that HIV is a manageable chronic illness improves health and health system outcomes.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Understand that HIV is usually a very manageable chronic condition
- Know which labs to order to evaluate a person living with HIV
- Understand basic medications used for HIV and how to prescribe them
- Recognize common symptoms of HIV – and what is not HIV-related
HIV Prevention – Medications and Harm Reduction Strategies
11:20 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. CT
In the final session of the seminar, the presenter will define HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and its potential role in reducing new HIV infections, and summarize strategies to reduce stigma and barriers related to HIV PrEP access and usage. Health care professionals will gain the fundamental skills needed to assess, initiate, and monitor HIV PrEP and recognize additional harm reduction strategies that decrease the risk of HIV acquisition.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Summarize the CDC guideline recommendations for assessing HIV PrEP eligibility and initiation
- Assess HIV PrEP indications in sexually active persons and obtain a sexual history
- Identify medications available for PrEP, PEP, and DoxyPEP
- Understand the basics of prescribing PrEP in primary care
Presented by: Jennifer Sobolik, CNP, AACRN, AAHIVS
Jennifer A. Sobolik, CNP, AACRN, AAHIVS, is a Certified Nurse Practitioner at Complete Health in Rapid City, South Dakota, where she specializes in sexual and reproductive health. Her credentials include being an advanced AIDS-certified registered nurse through the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (ANAC) and an HIV specialist through the American Academy of HIV Medicine. In this role, Jenn spends the majority of her clinical time counseling patients about sexual health; STI testing, treatment, and prevention; family planning services; HIV testing and prevention; pre-and post-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention (PrEP/PEP); and medical care for patients living with HIV. In 2017, Jenn and her staff opened a specialty clinic to provide primary care for individuals living with HIV. Their primary goal is to provide all patients, including those living with HIV, with a safe, stigma-free place to share their stories and receive routine medical care. Jenn was recently asked to be a member of the rural nursing committee for ANAC to help provide a voice for people living with HIV in rural communities. She is also participating in the HIV & Aging Scholars Cohort to examine loneliness in rural patients who are aging with HIV.