Nationally recognized... P-TAS (People Taking Action and Saving Lives)
A Passaic/Bergen Community-wide approach to Prevent, Test and Treat one of the fastest growing chronic diseases to affect Minority communities HIV.
A powerful public and private partnership has merged, proving strategic, life saving resources for residents in the counties of Passaic and Bergen, NJ. The initiative known as, P-TAS, has successfully pioneered a model - to save lives affected and infected by HIV disease through combined resources and human power, represented by, HIV-clinics, Paterson Division of Health faith- and community-based organizations, NJ State Department of Health-DHAS, academic institutions, HIV Health Planning groups, and businesses, such as, RDE Systems and Abbott Laboratories.
"This is a treatable disease..."This is a treatable disease, but almost half of those who know they are living with HIV throughout NJ and in the Passaic/Bergen region are not in medical care. Recent trends show that ethnic minorities access emergency rooms at later stages of illness, thus reducing their options for quality of life and life in general, according to Catherine Correa, Director of the federal Ryan White AIDS funding and co-founder of P-TAS. The P-TAS initiative has demonstrated the ability to get people testing for HIV and helped get patients into treatment, improving quality of life and reducing the harm for re-infection and spread of HIV virus.
During 2007, the P-TAS project workgroup of thirty-plus members, dozen of supporters, and fifty-plus students from Passaic County Community College will launch a social marketing campaign in Paterson and Passaic; to advertise and promote how HIV affects them through multiple marketing approaches. Outreach workers and volunteers will expand communications and enhance their interaction with families, friends and colleagues. The P-TAS banner (shown at the top) will be displayed across many streets in the community and at HIV-testing sites located throughout the cities. Local businesses will display the P-TAS logo and posters with tear off referral/reward card documenting information about the RAPID HIV test. Those who get tested or engaged in medical care will be given monetary coupons to be used in the local community outlets.
We can see which strategies, events, and outreach workers are having an impact so we can share best practices and target scarce resources..."The ability to measure and document success has placed this Passaic and Bergen County based initiative on the map nationally. According to one of the P-TAS business partners, Jesse Thomas, RDE Systems, the key to the P-TAS initiative is ability to continually survey and report on community needs, and track outcomes, barriers, and success in real-time. This allows us to continuously refine our approach for each community based on data, not anecdote. We can see which strategies, events, and outreach workers are having an impact, so we can share best practices and target scarce resources. Paterson P-TAS is the first in the country using this real-time outcomes approach.
Help our community to prosper, and become a supporter of the P-TAS initiative, share the facts, and help us tell the story. Call the Paterson Ryan White Administrative office at (973) 321-1234 for more information.
Remember that HIV/AIDS is treatable and the spreading of the disease is preventable.
Traditional approaches do not encompass beginning-to-end oversight and collaboration,
allowing people to fall through the cracks:
P-TAS fills in the cracks
P-TAS Outcomes Tracking System:
The P-TAS Outcomes tracking System enables the P-TAS members to monitor the outcomes of the initiative to see whats working, share best practices, and adapt to actual conditions on the ground in real-time, securely and anonymously on the Web. This screenshot shows the number and percentage of people each outreach worker engaged and was able to get tested. High performing outreach workers are recognized and their techniques are shared.
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P-TAS Reward Cards:
are redeemable for gift certificates at places such as Pathmark and McDonalds. $5 to get tested, and if positive, $10 for confirmation, and $20 to see a doctor. Reward Cards contain compelling images, statistics, and locations of local participating agencies. Nine different Reward Card designs target the diverse communities in Paterson and Passaic.
Powerpoint
See the abbreviated P-TAS launch PowerPoint slides by clicking here.
Get tested and help save a life.
Thank you to everyone, from the:
The P-TAS COMMITTEE - committed to bringing back better health to the cities of Paterson and Passaic, New Jersey.