ALL PRESENTATIONS FROM THE MAY, 2018 NJ HIV COORDINATORS MEETING ARE AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW OR DOWNLOAD AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS WEBPAGE!

Previous years meeting and presentations are still available. Click the  Meeting & Publications Tab.

What is NJ HIV?

Supported by grants from the NJ Department of Health - Division of HIV, STD & TB Services, the Rutgers University - Robert Wood Johnson Medical School - Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine provides Rapid HIV Test Support to more than 100 sites throughout NJ where rapid HIV testing is available.
 

Eugene Martin, Ph.D.	Co-Director	Professor of Pathology & Lab Medicine
Gratian Salaru, MD	Co-Director	Associate Professor
Parisa Javidian, MD	BLD	Associate Professor
Tom Kirn, MD, Ph.D,	Molecular Pathology Microbiology	Assistant Professor
Joanne Corbo, MT (ASCP), MBA	Program Manager
Latasha Adams BS,MT	Site Liaison
Moeen Ahmed BS,MT	Site Liaison
Aida Gilanchi, BS,MT	Site Liaison
Nisha Intwala, BS,MT (ASCP)	Site Liaison
Franchesca Jackson, BS	Site Liaison
Marianela Moreno	DMHAS Mobile HIV Counselor
Lisa May	Administrative Support
Karen Williams	Administrative Support

WHAT IS RAPID HIV TESTING ANYWAY?

A rapid test for HIV is a screening test that produces results in anywhere from 1 to 30 minutes. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved several rapid HIV tests as waived tests under CLIA. Waived tests must use unprocessed specimens (whole blood or oral fluid), be easy to use, and have little risk of an incorrect result. Currently, there are several CLIA - waived rapid test approved in the United States for HIV screening. One of these rapid tests (Abbott/Alere Determine Combo) responds to both HIV antibodies and circulating free p24Ag (one of the earliest markers of HIV infection).  This test  is available for free at more than 140 public health funded screening sites in New Jersey.

Throughout the United States, a CLIA Certificate of Waiver is required to conduct rapid HIV testing. The Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine of the Rutgers University - Robert Wood Johnson Medical School holds a CLIA Certificate of Waiver for more than 100 screening sites in NJ, provides a quality assurance program to oversee rapid HIV/STD testing and provides rapid HIV training for Certified HIV counselors who perform more than 85,000 free tests per annum.

WHAT IS A RAPID TESTING ALGORITHM (RTA)

Rapid HIV testing employs a simple to use testing device  to screen  an individual for possible infection. While additional confirmatory testing is required to finalize a diagnosis of an HIV infection, NJ HIV employs a unique, rapid testing algorithm (RTA) to significantly reduce the likelihood of false results. An RTA makes use of a second, different manufacturer's rapid HIV test to verify the presence of HIV antibodies that have been detected in the initial screen.

In November, 2011,  CDC Surveillance announced that use of a Rapid Test Algorithm including 'Rapid-Rapid' met the current HIV Case Definition and provided instructions for recording a case diagnosed using these new algorithms. An individual identified by two positive rapid tests is described as a Presumptive Positive which assumes that the individual will be linked into care and treatment.
 

In November, 2011, the Director of Incidence and Case Surveillance at CDC revised surveillance definitions to align them with these new rapid testing algorithms. 

At present, most sites in New Jersey either utilize a second, different, rapid HIV test on location or have established a collaborating relationship to allow you to confirm the presence of antibodies detected in an initial rapid HIV screening..  An individual who is positive on both rapid HIV tests has less than a .5%  probability (1:200) of not being infected.  Two positive, but different rapid HIV tests are sufficient to link an individual immediately into the healthcare system so that they can  meet with a healthcare provider and begin formulating a plan to address their infection.

The ASTHO Vision Awards recognize outstanding state and territorial health department programs and initiatives that use a creative approach to address public health needs or problems.

NJ HIV and the NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH - DIVISION OF HIV, STD & TB SERVICES are  THE PROUD RECIPIENTS OF THE:

• 2006 - ASTHO VISION AWARD - FOR OUR 'RAPID HIV TEST' PROGRAM

• 2013 - ASTHO VISION AWARD - FOR OUR 'PATIENT NAVIGATOR' PROGRAM

The NJHIV TRAINING SET: 

HIV Training Alere Determine

This presentation is large (>5 mb), covers all elements of a comprehensive Rapid HIV Quality Assurance  program and may be problematic when using older computers or on networks with limited bandwidth.

PERFORMING A FINGERSTICK: 

Courtesy of: Trinity Biotech

Collecting a Fingerstick Specimen

The Determine HIV-1/2 Ag/Ab Combo rapid test uses a 50 µl fingerstick blood sample collected in a pipette similar to that used by  in their Trinity - Syphilis Health Check procedure. Please click on the link if you'd like to review the process.

Once you have obtained the specimen, align the tip of the Capillary Tube containing the blood sample with the Sample Pad (marked by the arrow symbol) and gently squeeze the bulb avoiding air bubbles. Wait until all the blood is transferred from the Capillary Tube to the Sample Pad.
Caution: Do not lift the Capillary Tube from the Sample Pad before all the blood has been
transferred – a bubble may form which will prevent the complete transfer of sample.

Wait for one minute, then apply one drop of Chase Buffer to the Sample Pad.

 FINGERSTICK SAMPLING: 

Courtesy of: EKF Diagnostics for Life:

Fingerstick-sampling-Comprehensive-guide.pdf

HIV COST AND REIMBURSEMENT

HRET, the Hospital, Research and Education Trust  has developed a free online toolkit for cost and reimbursement issues surrounding HIV testing and screening that is available at www.hret.org/hiv-cost. The package includes a downloadable calculator to assist hospitals, clinics and physicians in understanding the cost of HIV testing programs and maximizing reimbursement. The resource was developed in partnership with
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A coding guide for ROUTINE HEALTHCARE HIV Testing is available at: Coding-Guide-AAHIVM-AMA.pdf

Please remember that charging for HIV tests provided to a facility by the Division of HIV/AIDS (DHSTS) IS NOT permitted!

THE HIV WINDOW PERIOD:

A WEBINAR BY:

Kevin Delaney, Ph.D. MPH

Acting Lead
Special Studies and Diagnostics Team
Behavioral and Clinical Surveillance Branch

National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Atlanta, GA
 

NJHIV  POWERPOINT (PDF) PRESENTATIONS

Last Updated: May 14, 2018

A complete list of PowerPoint Presentations from (2003-4 to our most recent meetings) are available. Click on MEETINGS PUBLICATIONS in the side bar menu and select from the comprehensive list.

RECENT MEETINGS:

2018

DOCUMENTS FROM THE MEETING:

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NJ HIV UPDATES

Last Updated: July 3, 2018

Rapid HIV procedures, forms and policies are freely available for your use.  We invite you to review, copy, print and use our latest procedures, forms and policies! 

FREQUENTLY CALLED NUMBERS:

Frequently Called Numbers 05-12-17.pdf

CURRENT PROCEDURE MANUAL   

** 2017 POLICY & PROCEDURE MANUAL - SIGNED - *:

Individual chapters from the manual are also available for download separately. Please click on PROCEDURES in the side bar menu (to your left) and select from the table contents.

NEW FORMS - PROTOCOLS - PROCEDURES

TREATMENT GUIDELINES

All current, 'in use', DHSTS forms are available below:

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