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Background: Gonorrhea (GC) rates in South LA account for 30-40% of all cases in Los Angeles County. Timely partner notification and treatment is essential to reducing further STD transmission. However, the practice of partner management varies among clinical sites and STD programs. Innovative, effective approaches have potential to address timely partner management for this population.
Methods: The Los Angeles County Division of HIV and STD Programs (DHSP) has previously partnered with high morbidity clinics to develop Community-Embedded Disease Intervention Specialist (CEDIS) programs. Building upon the success of these programs, the California Family Health Council (CFHC), a community-based organization (CBO), worked in collaboration with DHSP to develop a unique CEDIS program in South LA.
Results: Since late 2012, CFHC hired five CEDIS to strategically work with multiple clinics and CBOs located in South LA. Their role was to ensure all GC- positive patients received proper treatment and identify their sexual/social networks. Since 2013, the CEDIS have interviewed over 1750 positive GC cases, and initiated follow-up interviews with 1050 of their sex partners and members of their social network. In addition, CEDIS achieved high partner elicitation and cluster index rates. CEDIS also engaged high morbidity clinical sites and CBOs that work with populations at elevated risk such as commercially sexually exploited youth and gang affiliated youth.
Conclusions: The CEDIS leveraged their partner services expertise to impact programmatic decision making. As a CBO, CFHC was able to readily adapt and respond to trends identified in the field. Further, CFHC had the flexibility to rapidly implement new field protocols and continuously monitor progress of field-based performance measures.