Current and Recent Projects

Using HIV Surveillance Data for Prevention and Care Planning

  • Project Director for GEARS, Inc. (Global Evaluation & Applied Research Solutions) HIV Cluster Response Technical Assistance (TA) contract with CDC
    • Led a team of Technical Advisors and Implementation Science experts
    • Created needs assessment tool to obtain input from health departments
    • Developed national technical assistance plan and toolkit for providing capacity building assistance to health departments
    • Strengthened national response to HIV clusters
  • Project Director for GEARS, Inc. contract with CDC to provide Technical Assistance (TA) for Data to Care programming
    • Led two teams of TA Providers
    • Provided TA to 13 US health departments to strengthen their Data to Care programs
  • TA Provider for the NASTAD Capacity Building Assistance Program
    • Examples include:
      • Respond to TA requests from health departments
      • Serve as a trainer during national and regional trainings
      • Develop curricula on surveillance related topics
  • Subject Matter Expert on Data to Care and HIV Surveillance Data Use for NASTAD HRSA contract Evidence-Informed Approaches to Improving Health Outcomes for People Living with HIV
    • Review literature
    • Summarize interventions
    • Contribute to manuals to replicate successful interventions
  • Subject Matter Expert on HIV surveillance for Abt Associates contract Measuring Unmet Need for HIV-Related Primary Medical Care
    • Assist in development of training and field test materials
  • Serve as Epidemiology Consultant for The Stigma Index, a project of the Global Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in North America (GNP+NA)
    • Summarize and describe the HIV epidemic in the 21 areas being considered for conducting the Stigma Index Survey

Supporting U.S Surveillance Programs

  • Project Director for two contracts with CDC:
    • Provide Technical Assistance to US health departments to strengthen their Data to Care programs
    • Create Technical Assistance plan and toolkit to support health departments respond to HIV clusters
  • Write State of Nebraska’s HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis C Cluster Response Plans
  • Write Security and Confidentiality Policy and Procedure Manual for State of Nebraska to comply with the CDC 2011 integrated security and confidentiality guidelines
  • Work with NORC staff to provide expertise and guidance to CDC and project staff related to the establishment of a vision and eye health surveillance system for the nation
  • Create content and present webinar on data sharing agreements for “Data to Care” – using HIV surveillance data to link and retain PLHIV in care
  • Produce a tool kit and a series of five monthly webinars for implementing integrated security and confidentiality procedures across HIV, STD, TB and viral Hepatitis surveillance and case management programs at health departments
  • Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE)
    • In 2003 organized and wrote bylaws for an HIV Subcommittee for all health department HIV Surveillance Coordinators in the United States within CSTE
    • Chaired workgroup for four years, representing US HIV Surveillance Coordinators at multiple national HIV-related expert consultations
    • Chaired monthly national conference calls
    • Participated in leadership group for continuity of activities developing the national HIV surveillance system at the state and local levels
    • As of 2020 this group continues to have over 85 participants on its monthly calls
    • Authored 11 CSTE position statements that are used to set national policy

Report Writing/Webinar Production/Technical Review

  • Write Security and Confidentiality Policy and Procedure Manual for State of Nebraska to comply with the CDC 2011 integrated security and confidentiality guidelines
  • Write the guidance document “Constructing a State HIV Continuum of Care” for use by Delaware, Arkansas and available for others
  • Write Multi-Country Report on Adolescent Health and Sexuality in Six British and Dutch Overseas Caribbean Territories for the Pan American Health Association (PAHO)
  • Technical advisor/reviewer for the AIDSVu map in preparation for annual launch of new data on National HIV Testing Day 2014 and 2015.
  • Produce a tool kit and a series of five monthly webinars for implementing integrated security and confidentiality procedures across HIV, STD, TB and viral Hepatitis surveillance and case management programs at health departments.
  • Co-author HIV case surveillance Standard Operating Procedures manual for the Ministry of Health in Guyana
  • Create content and present webinar on data sharing agreements for “Data to Care” – using surveillance data to link and retain PLHIV in care.
  • Objective Review Committee Panelist for Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health — Mobilization for Health: National Prevention Partnership Awards Program

Global

  • Work with the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) Global Program to advise the Ministry of Health in Guyana on implementing HIV case reporting
    • Work with Ministry of Health (MoH), Health Center, Hospital and Voluntary Counseling & Testing (VCT) Staff and other NASTAD TA  providers to accomplish following activities:
      • Develop work plan and timeline, in partnership with MoH Surveillance Officer for the development of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) Manual and data security and confidentiality protocols
      • Observe data collection and data entry process at four case surveillance pilot sites and MoH
      • Observe data security and confidentiality processes at four pilot sites for the purpose of developing security and confidentiality minimum criteria and training of trainers curriculum
      • Provide MoH with support and input on the case surveillance form
      • Assist with development and writing of SOP
      • Strategize on developing accurate deduplication procedures
      • Present script for collecting unique identifier variables at the quarterly VCT meeting for the purpose of getting feedback and buy-in
  • Contribute to a Case Surveillance Toolkit for assisting with the implementation of WHO-recommended global second generation HIV surveillance
  • Provide technical assistance for NASTAD at the Caribbean Regional HIV Case Reporting Workshop to assist with implementation of HIV case reporting in the Caribbean
  • Write Multi-Country Report on Adolescent Health and Sexuality in Six British and Dutch Overseas Caribbean Territories for the Pan American Health Association (PAHO)

Recent and Select Publications

Board Memberships

  • AIDS Vu Technical Advisory Group since the initial launch of the AIDSVu website in 2010
  • Chair, Board of Directors of UNIFIED, the largest AIDS Service Organization in Michigan with offices is in Ypsilanti, Detroit and Jackson Michigan