HIV Aids Response Team (HART)
Sanctum’s HIV AIDS Response Team (HART) is an interdisciplinary team that supports complex patients living with HIV/AIDS in hospitals and links them to continuing care in the community.
HART aims too:
- Reduce acute care utilization
- Increased engagement in services and cascade of care
- Reduction in homelessness
- Reduction in illicit substance use
- Medication stabilization and viral suppression
Why HART is Needed
The acute care wards do not have the resources to manage patients with complex health and social issues such as addictions, mental health and homelessness.
HART improves patient outcomes by providing a rapid approach to addressing barriers such as homelessness and addiction to ensure successful completion of treatment while in hospital. Ongoing coordination of services once discharged from hospital are provided so the client can learn to manage the symptoms of their disease in community without relying on the acute care system.
- Leads the HART team and coordinate response to needs of patients
- Works with the ER department in assessment of needs related to HIV and social determinants of health
- Supports the Infectious Disease specialist on the wards with assessment, treatment plans and discharge to community
- Liaison with primary care physicians to ensure timely and appropriate care in the community
- Completes addictions assessments, referrals and triage to applicable therapies for substance use
- Works with methadone physicians to ensure appropriate addictions care is being received in hospital
- Provides addictions support to patients in the E.R and on the wards
- Coordinates discharge and provides follow up and linkages with addiction specialist in the community
- Provides care coordination in the ER and on the ward
- Works with patient on addressing needs in the community (housing, income assistance, transportation, appointment support etc.)
- Coordinates transport to medical and social appointments to reduce barriers to accessing care
Our Impact
375%
increase in addiction support stability
- HART
77%
increase in viral suppression on discharge
- HART
53%
decrease in daily substance use
- HART
66%
decrease in homelessness
- HART
67%
increase in clients taking their ARV’s at time of discharge
- HART
157%
increase in stable housing
- HART
How We do it
When an HIV positive patient presents to emergency or is admitted to hospital, HART will be alerted and a reaction cascade initiated (after hours, calls would be deferred until the next morning). During the patient’s hospital stay, HART will engage with the patient and staff to ensure appropriate and timely coordination of care occurs both within hospital and in transition to community. HART provides support with ID, housing, transportation, connection to community resources and supports, addictions support and referrals to treatment, medication management and more.
HART provides complex patients in hospital with quick, responsive, and reactive care coordinates care while in hospital and ensures continued care in the community.
Our Goals:
- Enhance patient engagement
- Improve patient compliance with therapy
- Reduce readmission rates
- Reduce viral transmission
- Improve patient experience in hospital.
- Coordinate care and facilitate access to support and care that removes barriers and increases engagement.
- Provide support to hospital staff on best practice for patients living with addiction and other complex health and social issues
How you can help
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Frequently Asked Questions
It does not cost anything
Our goal is to secure housing for the people we work with
Our program is geared towards individuals struggling with substance use
We are patient centered so if you only want to work one or all of our team, the choice is yours
Answer we will work with you to find a way to locate you that works for you