1543 - Risk Reduction service delivery during the COVID Pandemic to a marginalized urban population in Newark, NJ

Background: North Jersey Community Research Initiative (NJCRI) is a non- profit organization in Newark, NJ that provides medical care and support services for highly vulnerable and hard to reach patient populations (e.g. homeless, HIV/AIDS, transgender, MSM, injection drug users, sex workers), 83% of whom are people of color.  We are in a unique position to identify critical vulnerabilities and continued risk factors in our communities and patients during pandemics especially identifying HIV, HCV and other STIs and providing support services to this population.

Methods: We assessed the impact of COVID on HIV, HCV, STI Clinical care, testing, prevention, treatment, mental health and substance abuse services and patent retention.  We used our EMR data to track patient visits, prevention visits and testing pre and post covid.  Post Covid we utilized Telemedicine and mobile units to continue to provide services as well as self collection kits for the patients for testing. We staggered schedules on site in our outdoor triage center for support services like syringe exchange and food pantry and made an outdoor triage center for all services. Our phone system was routed to providers who assessed provided medical care through telemedicine  and remote lab orders and Medication orders were sent via EMR to pharmacies who delivered the medications.

Results: Pre Covid Jan-Feb 2020: 855 clinical visits including testing Behavioral visits 191. Syringe exchange 38,653 needles to 73 clients, Food 189 clients received food. LGBTQ service Clients Reached 779

Post Covid
March 2020 333 clinical visits including testing behavioral visits 154
April 2020 360 clinical visits including testing behavioral visits 208
May 2020 447 clinical visits including testing behavioral visits 282
Syringe exchange March- May  27,367 needles to 53 clients
Food received March-may 118 clients
LGBTQ clients reached 2035

Conclusion: Assess and implement best practices post COVID to plan for services in the event that we have another wave of COVID. STI, HIV and HCV services and testing can be successfully delivered remotely and through an outdoor triage facility in an underserved urban setting. Point of Service testing for both home and outdoor settings will be added to treatment paradigms to better serve the needs of the community.