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Primary Submission Category: Health care/services
Mixed Methods Study of HIV Treatment Through the Public Health Department in the City of Lubbock, Texas
Authors: Emily Ostermaier, James Felberg, Katherine Wells, Rocky Flores, Abdul Awal,
Presenting Author: Emily Ostermaier*
This project aimed to reduce the prevalence of HIV within an underserved population by providing HIV treatment, at no cost to the patient, through the City of Lubbock Public Health Department. This presents as a novel approach to improving HIV treatment adherence in an underserved population by not only providing medical care at no cost to the patient through a health department but also utilizing an HIV-focused case manager that actively addressed barriers to care on a case-by-case basis, thereby increasing self-efficacy amongst patients who face greater barriers to care due to low SES. We determined clinic efficacy in reducing rates of HIV in the community through a mixed methods approach. To understand overall HIV treatment success, a cross-sectional medical record review of patients attending the City of Lubbock Health Department for HIV related care between April 2024, and August 2025, was conducted. While there were no statistically significant changes in hematologic or immunologic markers between the first and last visits, according to the findings of the paired t-test, the substantial decrease in viral load, which correlates with the numerically significant but slightly improved CD4 counts, offers compelling evidence of a treatment response. To determine the overall impact this HIV clinic has had on the Lubbock community in terms of patient care, phone interviews were conducted with eligible participants and coded for major themes as related to their experiences receiving HIV-related care in community health settings and suggested improvements in self-efficacy. Lastly, a financial analysis of clinic operating expenses was conducted to understand the sustainability of this type of treatment model through a health department in the long run. This analysis suggested that this model is financially feasible through the reimbursements provided through charity and insurance programs and demonstrates promise of being implemented in health departments nationally.