HIV/STD Partner Services Integration: Findings From a Staff Survey

Background:  Consistent with the CDC’s Program Collaboration and Service Integration (PCSI) initiative, the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) integrated its HIV prevention and STD intervention programs in April 2010.  A multi-phase evaluation is being conducted to assess this effort and the efficacy of the integrated Partner Services (PS) model.

Objectives:  To assess integrated DOH staff satisfaction concerning the approach and process, including staff buy-in, support, morale and opinions about client service outcomes associated with the new integrated model.

Methods:  In collaboration with the University at Albany and the University of Kentucky, a survey was developed and administered to 42 cross-trained field staff in September 2011, located in six regional offices serving NYS (excluding NYC).   Results were collected via Survey Monkey and analyzed using SAS 9.2.  

Results:  Results indicated that mean job satisfaction scores significantly decreased after integration (P <.02), and mean job stress scores increased significantly after integration (P <.001).  19/42 (45.2%) felt integration was not well managed in their office, and 17/43 (39.5%) felt staff morale was worse since integration.  Opinions on the integration process varied significantly between regional offices.   Perceived quality of client service provision (individuals screened, counseled and linked to care) improved following the integration.  

Conclusions:  While staff reported lower job satisfaction and higher job stress, they also perceived better client service outcomes; especially staff that had been in their integrated role the longest.  Evaluation of integrated HIV/STD staff revealed significant regional differences, which may be reflective of unique circumstances, management styles, and barriers to integration in each office. 

Implications for Programs, Policy, and Research:  For the stated goals of PCSI to succeed, staff buy-in and staff satisfaction with new models of care are critical. Understanding how different offices are affected by organizational changes can allow for early identification of potential barriers to transition.