Linkage to Care

Linkage to Care is a program that helps people with HIV transition from testing to medical care. The Office of HIV/AIDS has expanded the number of Linkage Coordinators across the Health Districts to improve the process. The goal is to get people into medical care within 30 days of diagnosis and keep them engaged in primary care. This program starts with diagnosis and ends with being connected to medical care.

  • Georgia's Test-Link-Care (TLC) Network

    Georgia's Test-Link-Care Network (TLC Network) collaborates with organizations across the state to coordinate HIV testing, primary care, and supportive services. The TLC Network includes covers 18 health districts and aims to identify and link newly diagnosed or out-of-care individuals with HIV to proper care. This model has led to better coordination with various organizations involved in HIV testing and treatment, demonstrating the value of having dedicated Linkage Coordinators.

  • Corrections Linkages

    Every year, around 300 inmates who are HIV-positive are released from prison. The Department of Corrections helps them by providing pre-release case management services and collaborating with the Office of HIV to connect them with medical and care services. This collaboration is crucial for the well-being of the inmates and creates an opportunity to establish a standardized linkage to the care process within Georgia's correctional institutional settings.

  • Anti-Retroviral Treatment and Access to Services (ARTAS) 

    ARTAS is a program that helps people who have recently been diagnosed with HIV to connect with medical care. It uses a Strengths-Based Case Management model, which encourages clients to identify their personal strengths and create goals. The program views the community as a resource and sessions can take place in or outside of the office setting.

  • Knowing Your HIV Status

    One out of every eight people in the United States who have HIV do not know they have it. It is important to know your HIV status so that you can take steps to keep yourself and your partner(s) healthy. The only way to know if you have HIV is to get tested. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 get tested for HIV at least once during routine health care.

Revised Recommendations for HIV Testing of Adults, Adolescents, and Pregnant Women in Health-Care Settings

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report makes recommendations for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing, which are intended for all health care providers in the public and private sectors, including those working in hospital emergency departments, urgent care clinics, inpatient services, substance abuse treatment clinics, public health clinics, community clinics, correctional health-care facilities, and primary care settings.   The recommendations address HIV testing in health care settings only:

Resources for Linkage Case Managers

The following resources can assist linkage case managers with their respective ARTAS and general linkage efforts:

Download this pdf file. Referral and Linkage to HIV Medical Care and Supportive Services
Download this pdf file. Test-Link-Care Network Flyer
Download this pdf file. Linkage Confidentiality Agreement
Download this pdf file. ARTAS Informed Consent
Download this pdf file. Non-ARTAS Informed Consent
National HIV/AIDS Strategy (2022-2025)
Download this pdf file. Ryan White Part B Clinic List(2024)

 

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about HIV Linkage to Care, please contact:

Zenora Sanders, M.Ed.

Statewide Linkage and Retention Coordinator

[email protected]

Courtney Eaton, MPA 

Assistant Statewide Linkage Coordinator

[email protected]

Page Last Updated 06/20/2024