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AETC Nationwide Network
The AIDS
Education and Training Centers (AETC) Program of the Ryan White
CARE Act currently supports a network of 12 regional and 4 national
support centers that conduct targeted, multi-disciplinary education
and training programs for health care providers treating persons
with HIV/AIDS. The AETCs serve all 50 States, the Virgin Islands,
Puerto Rico and the six U.S. Pacific Jurisdictions with the mission
of increasing the number of health care providers who are effectively
educated and motivated to counsel, diagnose, treat, and medically
manage individuals with HIV infection and to help prevent high risk
behaviors that lead to HIV transmission.
Training is preferentially targeted to providers who serve minority
populations, the homeless, rural communities, incarcerated persons,
and Ryan White CARE Act-funded sites. AETCs focus on training clinicians
in primary health care (physicians, physician assistants, nurses,
dentists, pharmacists); training activities are based upon assessed
local needs. Emphasis is placed on interactive, hands-on training
and clinical consultation to assist providers with complex issues
related to the management of highly active antiretroviral therapy.
AETCs collaborate with other Ryan White CARE Act-funded organizations,
area health education centers, community-based HIV/AIDS organizations,
and medical and health professional organizations. Since 1988, the
AETC program has sponsored more than 700,000 training interactions
for providers. Clinicians trained by AETCs have been shown to be
more competent with regard to HIV issues and more willing to treat
persons living with HIV than other primary care providers.
Several national, cross-cutting components of the AETC program
support and complement the regional training centers. In 1999, the
National Minority AIDS Education and Training Center (NMAETC) was
established with funding from the Congressional Black Caucus Initiative
to benefit minorities who are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS.
Working with Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic
serving educational institutions, tribal colleges and educational
institutions, and minority community based organizations, the NMAETC
offers clinical consultation and support to minority providers,
builds networks among these clinicians, and expands educational
resources to increase the number of minority clinicians providing
quality care to HIV-positive individuals.
Other national program components include the National Resource
AETC, National Evaluation AETC, and the National HIV/AIDS Clinicians'
Consultation Center. The Resource Center is a web-based HIV/AIDS
training resource that supports the training needs of the regional
AETCs through coordination of HIV/AIDS training materials, rapid
dissemination of late-breaking advances in treatment and changes
to treatment guidelines, and critical review of available patient
education materials. The Evaluation Centeris responsible for program
evaluation activities, including assessing effectiveness of the
AETCs' education, training, and consultation activities. The National
HIV/AIDS Clinicians' Consultation Center provides health care providers
with a national resource to obtain timely and appropriate responses
to clinical questions related to treatment of persons with HIV infection
and/or possible health care worker exposure to HIV and other blood-borne
pathogens.
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