Continuum of Care for HIV Patients Returning to Mexico

Abstract

The U.S.-Mexico Border region which includes some of the poorest counties in the country has large rural populations with health care service shortages leading to poorer health outcomes than in the rest of the country (United States-Mexico Border Health Commission 2008). In combination with these factors an increase in the number of HIV cases along the border led to a request from the Health Resources and Services Administration for a collaborative effort to systematically assess the education and capacity building needs of health care providers in this region. The three AETCs geographically located along the border (Pacific AETC [California Arizona] Mountain- Plains AETC [New Mexico] and Texas/Oklahoma AETC [Texas]) interviewed more than 75 border clinicians to determine their unique HIV-related education needs. Four broad training-related needs emerged: (a) to increase integration and coordination of HIV training activities (b) to expand HIV training beyond AETC-targeted providers (c) to offer site-based trainings that include cultural sensitivity themes and incentives for participation and (d) to maintain a binational perspective by including Mexican clinicians in training activities. (excerpt)