History & Capabilities

Ryan White Part B Patient Services — Volusia and Flagler Counties

Unlike an entitlement program such as Medicaid or Medicare, The Ryan White Program provides federal funding for outpatient medical care, pharmaceuticals, dental services, mental health counseling, case management and other support services to eligible individuals. The Volusia County Health Department contracts with us to provide these services in Volusia and Flagler counties. This year, the HPC ensured that Ryan White funds were spent down to 98 percent of the contract award, maximizing capacity and dramatically impacting the health of people living with HIV/AIDS in the community.
In addition, Health Planning Council of Northeast Florida staff provided training and technical assistance to a variety of community organizations, including Halifax Hospital, the area’s largest taxing-district hospital, regarding Ryan White services, eligibility and referral processes. We also collaborate with other community health initiatives, such as Healthy Volusia, Inc., and the Volusia/Flagler Coalition for the Homeless, to facilitate coordination of services across otherwise unrelated programs. We also facilitated the development of a comprehensive, three-year strategic plan through direct participation in the Partnership for Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Planning, the Volusia/Flagler planning consortium.

The Ryan White Program data collection process was modified during the 2008-2009 contract year due to new reporting requirements by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act of 2006 required Ryan White-funded programs to begin collecting and reporting client-level data to accurately depict disease stage and progression as of January 1,2009. The Health Planning Council implemented the requirement April 1, 2008, in anticipation of the January 1, 2009 rollout. Our data collection system was converted to the federally sponsored and free CAREWare software system, giving all partners the ability to log on, improving communication among providers and access to care.

The Health Planning Council of Northeast Florida participated in a year-long work group, sponsored by the Florida Department of Health, to revise and implement the Case Management Operating Guidelines, which were released in March of 2009.

Partnership for Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Planning (PCHAP)

HIV/AIDS Community Planning brings together service providers, Health Department staff, people living with HIV or AIDS and other concerned community members to collaborate on a plan for the network of HIV/AIDS prevention, early intervention and patient care services in their respective local areas. The planning partnership works to ensure services are available for those who need them most, are cost effective, and are of the highest possible quality.

HIV/AIDS Community Planning was originally supported by the Ryan White CARE Act of 1990 and continues to be supported under the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act of 2006. The partnership works to ensure that these Federal funds are allocated to support the most-needed services in those regions and among those groups of people hardest hit by HIV.

Housing Opportunities for People Living with AIDS (HOPWA ) – Volusia and Flagler Counties

The Health Planning Council of Northeast Florida is the fiscal administrator and case manager for HOPWA funding in Volusia and Flagler Counties. HUD’s Office of HIV/AIDS Housing manages HOPWA program funding in 44 states. HOPWA provides housing assistance and related supportive services to assist people who are living with HIV/AIDS. HOPWA funds may be used for a wide range of housing, social services, program planning, and development costs. These include, but are not limited to, the acquisition, rehabilitation, or new construction of housing units; costs for facility operations; rental assistance; and short-term payments to prevent homelessness. HOPWA funds also may be used for healthcare and mental health services, chemical dependency treatment, nutritional services, case management, assistance with daily living, and other supportive services. In 2008-2009, not only were HPC’s performance measures exceeded by 50%, leverage funding (a required reporting element for HUD) increased 740% ($99,212.00 to $733.329). Each year, a client satisfaction survey is provided to each client obtaining services. This year, 17 clients, 35% higher than 2007, reported no longer needing HOPWA services because they are self-sufficient in maintaining their housing and financial obligations. Many clients have requested to continue receiving the financial newsletters even though they have successfully completed the plan of care process and are living without HOPWA assistance.

AIDS Insurance Continuation Program (AICP)

AICP is a statewide program that pays the health insurance premiums up to $750 a month for people who are HIV positive (asymptomatic or symptomatic) or have AIDS. AICP Special Services program was re-opened in February 2009. The Special Services program pays client co-payments, up to $100 per month and deductibles up to $2,500 per year, on an as-needed basis and as funding permits. AICP decreases the demand on the Florida Medicaid, ADAP, and other public assistance programs through cost savings. AICP saves significant dollars for the Florida Medicaid Program with a total estimated annual savings of $11.7 million. Cost savings are maintained at a program investment that is lower than other similar program options. For every dollar invested in AICP, clients received an average of $4.99 in private medical care, goods and services. AICP successfully preserves the private health insurance benefits of low-income Floridians living with HIV/AIDS.

The Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition and the St. Johns River Rural Health Network (SJRRHN)

The Health Planning Council of Northeast Florida provided fiscal administrative support and shared administrative services to both the Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition and the SJRRHN. To help further contain administrative costs and overhead, a HPC senior-level staff was allocated 30 percent of FTE status to serve as the lead administrator of the SJRRHN in lieu of hiring a full-time SJRRHN executive director. This model of shared resources not only provided financial savings, efficiency and stability for all three organizations, it also served as a viable collaborative alternative for non-profits during these lean economic times.

“Our contract with the Health Planning Council provides us with access to qualified and experienced fiscal and support staff. This is incredibly cost-effective when compared to hiring our own staff directly. I think it is a model for non-profits of the future.” —Carol Brady, Executive Director of the Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition

Healthy Jacksonville Childhood Obesity Prevention Coalition

In partnership with the Duval County Health Department (DCHD), the Health Planning Council of Northeast Florida received $46,526 in seed funding from the Blue Foundation of Florida to coordinate local efforts to address the causes of obesity of children and their families and to expand and enhance current local efforts to address obesity prevention in Jacksonville. The Health Planning Council of Northeast Florida served as the fiduciary agent and helped facilitate the development of the Plan and expansion of the Coalition in conjunction with DCHD and the Childhood Obesity Prevention Coalition leader. The Coalition developed a Community Call to Action report that contains a plan for the community to address childhood obesity through a variety of sectors and spheres of influence. The Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida has released additional funding opportunities through the calls to action detailed in this action plan.