Hailfax Regional Medical Center - HIV/AIDS Case Management Program

What is it?

Halifax Regional Medical Center provides a unique program for HIV/AIDS patients in one of the poorest regions of North Carolina. Funded primarily by Halifax Regional Medical Center, the program consists of three components: (1) case management for inpatients and outpatients – Halifax Regional Medical Center is the only hospital in the region with a case manager who follows both inpatients and outpatients; (2) education of HIV patients that focuses on communication skills to encourage compliance with physician orders along with a support group; and (3) testing for HIV/AIDS in the community and in Halifax Regional Medical Center, accompanied by offering educational counseling.

Who is it for?

HIV/AIDS patients in Halifax, Northampton and Warren counties of North Carolina as well as community members who are at risk for HIV/AIDS.

Why do they do it?

In contrast to some areas, this region is experiencing an increase in the incidence of HIV/AIDS. Surprisingly, there is an increase in HIV among adults below age 30, a difference from several years ago when most of those diagnosed were 50 or above. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that one in a thousand individuals is HIV positive, but Halifax Regional Medical Center found two in fewer than a thousand tested, which points to a higher prevalence in this area. The hospital feels an obligation to improve the health of the community by devoting medical resources to a major world epidemic.

Impact

In 2003, the program was serving 30 patients; it is now serving more than 140. In the most recent 18-month period, 590 people in the community were tested, and the two who were identified as HIV positive are now enrolled in the program. The support group has increased in size from seven group members to 18 to 25 weekly; 43 are on the roster. The program has increased medication compliance among patients by an estimated 50 percent.

Contact: Misty Lane
HIV Case Management
Telephone: 252-535-8173
E-mail: mlane@rhgnc.org