Linkage to Care (L2C) staff work to connect people living with HIV to medical care. Staff assist patients who are newly diagnosed with HIV or who are not currently accessing care by providing them with short-term, intensive support by connecting them with an HIV care provider. The support provided is customized to meet the needs of the patient, but may include services such as:
- Assistance in identifying and connecting with medical providers
- Assistance in accessing HIV care and treatment
- Support in connecting with social service organizations
- Support in connecting with long-term medical care management services
Program staff are also able to provide risk reduction counseling and HIV/STD testing and support services. Clients living in the greater Anchorage area are eligible to receive in-person support. Patients living outside of Anchorage are eligible for telephone- or video-based referrals and support.
Who is eligible for Linkage to Care?
Any person who is currently residing in Alaska and meets at least one of the criteria outlined below is eligible to receive L2C services:
- Newly diagnosed with HIV
- Living with HIV and pregnant
- Living with HIV and identified as currently being out of care by a health care provider. For the purpose of L2C a person is considered out of care if the provider has been unsuccessful in reaching them and they have:
- Not received a CD4 or Viral Load test in the preceding 12 months, OR
- Not attended an HIV care appointment with their health care provider in the previous 12 months
- High-risk HIV-negative persons. For the purpose of the L2C, a person is considered high-risk if they self-identify as engaging in the following behaviors:
- Having repeated sexual encounters with a person who is known to be living with HIV
- Current or short-term history of injection drug use, including sharing needles, syringes, works with a person who is known to be living with HIV
- Engaging in transactional sex work
- Engaging in sexual contact with anonymous partners obtained through websites or dating apps
If a person is living with HIV but does not meet one of these criteria, they will be referred to long-term HIV/AIDS case management services through local organizations.
Accessing Linkage to Care Services
Health care providers and other interested individuals can call Kayli Helvie for additional information on the program or to refer someone for services.
Linkage to Care Resources