This notice announces the opportunity to apply for fiscal year (FY) 2020 funding under the new 3-year program entitled Rapid Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Start in the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program – Dissemination Assistance Provider. The purpose of this Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) program is to fund a single organization that will develop a compendium of promising rapid ART interventions. The recipient will systematically identify and document innovative practices and procedures of rapid ART interventions and promote the dissemination of these models for replication among RWHAP and other providers serving people with HIV. Specifically, the intent of this program is to: 1) perform a comprehensive environmental scan to compile a collection of effective rapid ART interventions for people with HIV who are newly diagnosed and not currently engaged in care; 2) examine current policies in the administration of existing rapid ART start models at the clinic level and in system wide settings; 3) document and disseminate successes, barriers and challenges of identified models and interventions; 4) assess the adaptability of successful models and interventions employed; and 5) promote the replication of effective models and interventions among RWHAP and other providers serving people with HIV. Examples of rapid ART models and interventions may include, but are not limited to: 1) Models and interventions which have shown effectiveness in accelerating the time from new HIV diagnosis to entry into care and initiation of ART treatment, including rapid eligibility determination for RWHAP services, 2) Models and interventions that demonstrate improved retention in care, and 3) Models and interventions that demonstrate impact of a reduced time between initiating rapid ART and viral suppression, as well as having a sustained virological response.
