JHF Hosts Minority AIDS Initiative Learning Session in Pittsburgh

The Jewish Healthcare Foundation's HIV/AIDS Team hosted its Minority AIDS Initiative (MAI) Learning Session in Pittsburgh on April 25-26, bringing together 22 outreach workers from 11 agencies across the state. The purpose of this session was to provide a space for agencies to share best practices around outreach strategies to re-engage individuals who are lost-to-care and network with one another to form new collaborations.

During the first day of the session, JHF staff and guest speakers facilitated discussions on HIV clinical updates and how these updates relate to addressing barriers to care through outreach work, recent guideline updates to perinatal care and infant feeding, and advertising and development of media campaigns for HIV services. A representative from the Pennsylvania Department of Health also joined to provide updates to upcoming statewide initiatives and the Special Pharmaceutical Benefits Program. Additionally, the session included interactive activities including a Vogue 101 workshop, where attendees learned the history of vogue and some basic vogue dance moves.

One the second day of the session, the MAI attendees were joined by 17 case managers and community health workers, representing eight agencies, from the Southwestern Pennsylvania Ryan White Learning Collaborative. MAI and Ryan White agency representatives learned about organizational and individual safety practices that they can apply in their day-to-day work in the communities they serve. JHF also facilitated a speed networking session to allow MAI and Ryan White regional providers to network and learn from their peers.

At the end of the two-day training, attendees had established new connections and collaborations, and left with an excitement to continue to network and learn from each other.

The Jewish Healthcare Foundation hosts in-person MAI Learning Sessions twice per year and plans to host the Fall 2023 session in Philadelphia.