Download or read book Technical Assistance for Health Centers in Rural Pennsylvania written by Brittany Barnes and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Objectives: There is a gap between health professionals' knowledge and skills regarding HIV/AIDS prevention and care due to the constant changing face of HIV prevention, treatment and care, as well as due to changing population demographics. This project consisted of conducting a needs assessment to gain a better understanding of how the PA/MidAtlantic AIDS Education and Training Center (PA/MA AETC, or "ETC") can provide information dissemination, training, and other resources to support health centers treating people living with HIV/AIDS, in Reading, PA. Methods: Both in-person and telephone semi-structured interviews were conducted with key stakeholders (n=8) from health centers, hospitals, and community based organizations in Reading, PA. Grounded theory methods were used for data collection, and content analysis was used for data analysis. Results: Data analysis of interview notes identified five provider training needs: (1) more information about treating co-infections (Hepatitis C and HIV, specifically) due to the high rates among their patient population, (2) more information about the HIV post-counseling component and linkage to care after a patient tests positive for HIV, (3) training aimed at attitudes that patients are not at risk for HIV/AIDS, (4) training addressing challenges retaining patients in HIV care, and (5) brief concise training to address time as a barrier to participation in training activities. Conclusions: The needs assessments uncovered five specific areas in which clinicians who care for patients living with HIV/AIDS in Reading, PA could use technical support and training. Recommendations for training and technical assistance targeted to health providers in rural settings were provided, in order to provide optimal care for their HIV-positive populations.