Care Network of the Treasure Coast

 The mission of the Care Network of the Treasure Coast (CNTC) is to serve as the advisory body for the Ryan White Part B funds to ensure the provision of and access to quality comprehensive HIV/AIDS health and support services.  The CNTC serves Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, and St. Lucie counties.

 The CNTC, formerly known as the AIDS Consortium of the Treasure Coast, was established in the mid-nineties to serve as the advisory planning body for the Ryan White Part B funds in Area 15.  The Ryan White Part B funds are awarded by the federal government to each state to provide access to medical care and social services for people living with HIV/AIDS. The State of Florida Department of Health in turn awards the funds to a Lead Agency within each Area. The St. Lucie County Health Department (SLCHD) currently serves as the Lead Agency in Area 15.  The Lead Agency serves as the fiscal and administrative agency for the Ryan White Part B funds. SLCHD identifies and contracts with service providers, monitors subcontractors to ensure quality services are provided, and provides staff support to the CNTC.

 Membership is open to any individual living or working in the counties served. Anyone having an active interest in the care of persons living with HIV/AIDS are welcome to join. The following steps are required to join the CNTC:  Complete a CNTC application and submit to the Lead Agency  Complete and sign the Confidentiality Statement  Complete and sign the Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form  Complete and sign consent that the member will follow the Ground Rules The Executive Committee must vote on each member application and forward their decision to the CNTC for the final vote. An orientation is provided for each new member within 90 days of approval.

 The CNTC is responsible for planning and ensuring that quality services are provided to people living with HIV/AIDS throughout the Treasure Coast. The CNTC advises on the development and implementation of the Comprehensive Plan, Needs Assessment, and Quality Management Plan. The members use these tools to make recommendations about the services that should be funded and ways to track the outcomes of those services.

 The members work together in an effort to plan and implement a comprehensive system of care for people living with HIV/AIDS. It is very important to have many people attending the CNTC meetings so that many ideas can be shared and considered when planning and evaluating the system of care.

 The Comprehensive Plan describes the organization and delivery of HIV health care and support services to be funded with assistance received under the Ryan White federal grant. It is a road map for developing a system of care over time that reflects the community's vision and values about how best to deliver services by setting long-term goals, objectives and strategies for delivering services.

 The Needs Assessment is an important process used to identify gaps in care by identifying the needs of people living with HIV, both those receiving care and those not in care, and what services are available to meet those needs.  HRSA has assisted the Department of Health in developing guidelines so that the needs assessment data collected was consistent across areas of the State. The following components make up the needs assessment process:  Focus Groups  Provider Surveys  Consumer Surveys

 The Quality Management Plan (QM Plan) is used to direct a coordinated approach to addressing continuous quality improvement activities and process improvement for the Ryan White Part B Program in Area 15.  The QM Plan guides the continuous quality improvement activities of the Part B funded providers serving HIV infected individuals and their families. This in part is monitored with the development of the CNTC Work Plan.  The QM Plan identifies QM leadership and infrastructure, outlines annual QM activities, defines established QM priorities and identifies local quality improvement goals. Current goals of the QM Plan are as follows:  Ensuring quality services are delivered to clients  Ensuring Ryan White is the payor of last resort  Ensuring providers adhere to terms outlined in contracts  Ensuring a continuity of care across agencies

 The CNTC Work Plan guides the committee members in its efforts to complete goals and objectives outlined in the QM Plan. The work plan includes each objective, a timeframe for completion, the responsible party and the status of meeting the objective.  The CNTC Work Plan is reviewed at each Executive Committee meeting and updated annually, or as needed, with the approval of the Executive Committee. The annual work plan is also voted on by the CNTC Committee.

 The CNTC typically meets about every other month. For special meetings, members will receive at least 48 hours notice of the meeting. It is very important that all members attend the meetings of the CNTC. If a member is unable to attend a meeting, notification to the Lead Agency is required in advance. The committee cannot vote without a quorum, which consists of a minimum of 5 members.  After 3 unexcused absences, a member may be removed from the committee.

 The CNTC advises on the development and implementation of the Comprehensive Plan, Needs Assessment, and Quality Management Plan. The members use these tools to make recommendations about the services that should be funded and ways to track the outcomes of those services.