COE HIV and HCV Testing and Care in Opioid Centers of Excellence - JHF

November 19, 2025

Members of the care team will learn about risk factors and screening recommendations for HIV and HCV among individuals with SUD and the role of COEs in screening clients and connecting them to HIV/HCV treatment and support services, including coordination with external providers, with an emphasis on harm reduction.

Agenda: 

  1. Welcome, introductions, training objectives 
  2. Framing the Problem: Two Epidemics, One Syndemic
    • Convergence of HCV and OUD among PWID
    • Key surveillance stats (new HCV cases, unawareness of chronic infection, IDU risk)
    • HIV Risk in SUD Context
  3. Injection-related risk (syringe sharing) and sexual risk behaviors
  4. Proportion of new HIV diagnoses linked to injection drug use
    • CDC HIV Testing Guidance
    • Who to test: universal once-in-a-lifetime testing; higher-frequency for priority groups
    • How to test: opt-out, normalize; 4th-generation Ag/Ab assays; no oral tests for initial screen
    • Testing window and reporting requirements
    • CDC HCV Testing Recommendations
  5. Universal adult screening and pregnancy screening
    • Reflex RNA testing as standard
    • Point-of-Care (POC) Testing Landscape
    • Operationalizing Testing in SUD Settings
  6. On-site phlebotomy & pan-viral testing: bundling at intake; completion rates; reporting channels
    • Referral pathways for blood draws: partnerships (FQHCs, health depts), results communication
    • Leveraging the EMR
    • Testing history checks, workflow points for phlebotomy
    • Order sets, pop-ups, templates; barriers (costs, privacy) vs utility
    • Opt-Out Screening in SUD Programs
    • Rationale and evidence (higher testing & linkage)
    • Where to embed: intake, dosing wait times, post-group, routine visits
  7. Stigma reduction via “routine care” framing
    • Proposed Triple-Testing Workflow
    • Protocol development, appointing a champion
    • EMR reminders/templates
  8. Opt-out testing point; on-site vs off-site result handling
    • Coverage & Cost Navigation
  9. Partenrships
  10. Linkage support and counseling for negatives
    • Treatment & Prevention Pathways
  11. HIV education: life expectancy with modern care; U=U; same-day/rapid ART start
  12. HCV treatment essentials: curative DAAs, short duration, high tolerability; SVR12 definition; reinfection messaging
    • Delivering Test Results
  13. PrEP overview
  14. Practical “order set” examples
    • Barriers & Enablers in COEs
  15. Building HCV care within COEs: why it matters
  16. Common barriers to linkage & implementation; role of TA (“C Change”)
  17. COEs’ critical role in HCV elimination efforts
    • Closing: From Policy to Practice
  18. Testing and treatment as standard of care
  19. Discussion
  20. Questions

 

 

 

Target Audience

  • Nurse
  • Physician
  • Social Worker

Learning Objectives

• Identify risk factors and screening recommendations for HIV and HCV among individuals with substance use disorders, based on CDC and PA Department of Health guidelines.
• Integrate HIV and HCV screening into COE workflows during intake and ongoing care, ensuring alignment with Fidelity Guidelines.
• Describe protocols for linking clients to HIV/HCV treatment and support services, including coordination with external providers.
• Apply harm reduction strategies (e.g., syringe services, PrEP, PEP) to support HIV and HCV prevention within COE settings.
• Educate clients using clear, culturally responsive messaging about HIV and HCV transmission, prevention, and treatment options.

 

 

Additional Information

AttachmentSize
File Audience Disclosure slides (1.25)_79.pptx51.57 KB
File HIV_HCV_Agenda_Objectives_References_0.docx37.47 KB
Course summary
Available credit: 
  • 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
    The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
  • 1.25 ANCC
    UPMC Provider Unit is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation
  • 1.25 ASWB
  • 1.25 Attendance
Course opens: 
11/19/2025
Course expires: 
12/31/2025
Event starts: 
11/19/2025 - 12:00pm EST
Event ends: 
11/19/2025 - 1:30pm EST
Add to calendar: 

Members of the care team will learn about risk factors and screening recommendations for HIV and HCV among individuals with SUD and the role of COEs in screening clients and connecting them to HIV/HCV treatment and support services, including coordination with external providers, with an emphasis on harm reduction.

Agenda: 

  1. Welcome, introductions, training objectives 
  2. Framing the Problem: Two Epidemics, One Syndemic
    • Convergence of HCV and OUD among PWID
    • Key surveillance stats (new HCV cases, unawareness of chronic infection, IDU risk)
    • HIV Risk in SUD Context
  3. Injection-related risk (syringe sharing) and sexual risk behaviors
  4. Proportion of new HIV diagnoses linked to injection drug use
    • CDC HIV Testing Guidance
    • Who to test: universal once-in-a-lifetime testing; higher-frequency for priority groups
    • How to test: opt-out, normalize; 4th-generation Ag/Ab assays; no oral tests for initial screen
    • Testing window and reporting requirements
    • CDC HCV Testing Recommendations
  5. Universal adult screening and pregnancy screening
    • Reflex RNA testing as standard
    • Point-of-Care (POC) Testing Landscape
    • Operationalizing Testing in SUD Settings
  6. On-site phlebotomy & pan-viral testing: bundling at intake; completion rates; reporting channels
    • Referral pathways for blood draws: partnerships (FQHCs, health depts), results communication
    • Leveraging the EMR
    • Testing history checks, workflow points for phlebotomy
    • Order sets, pop-ups, templates; barriers (costs, privacy) vs utility
    • Opt-Out Screening in SUD Programs
    • Rationale and evidence (higher testing & linkage)
    • Where to embed: intake, dosing wait times, post-group, routine visits
  7. Stigma reduction via “routine care” framing
    • Proposed Triple-Testing Workflow
    • Protocol development, appointing a champion
    • EMR reminders/templates
  8. Opt-out testing point; on-site vs off-site result handling
    • Coverage & Cost Navigation
  9. Partenrships
  10. Linkage support and counseling for negatives
    • Treatment & Prevention Pathways
  11. HIV education: life expectancy with modern care; U=U; same-day/rapid ART start
  12. HCV treatment essentials: curative DAAs, short duration, high tolerability; SVR12 definition; reinfection messaging
    • Delivering Test Results
  13. PrEP overview
  14. Practical “order set” examples
    • Barriers & Enablers in COEs
  15. Building HCV care within COEs: why it matters
  16. Common barriers to linkage & implementation; role of TA (“C Change”)
  17. COEs’ critical role in HCV elimination efforts
    • Closing: From Policy to Practice
  18. Testing and treatment as standard of care
  19. Discussion
  20. Questions

 

Zoom Meeting
Pittsburgh, PA
United States

Dr. Stacey Trooskin

 

In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by the University of Pittsburgh and The Jewish Healthcare Foundation. The University of Pittsburgh is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
As a Jointly Accredited Organization, University of Pittsburgh is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. University of Pittsburgh maintains responsibility for this course. Social workers completing this course receive 1.25 continuing education credits.

Physician (CME)
The University of Pittsburgh designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Nursing (CNE)
The maximum number of hours awarded for this Continuing Nursing Education activity is 1.25 contact hours.

Social Work (ASWB)
The maximum number of hours awarded for this Continuing Social Work Education activity is 1.25 contact hours.

Other health care professionals will receive a certificate of attendance confirming the number of contact hours commensurate with the extent of participation in this activity.

Available Credit

  • 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
    The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
  • 1.25 ANCC
    UPMC Provider Unit is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation
  • 1.25 ASWB
  • 1.25 Attendance
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