UT-HEARTS
UT HIV Education, Awareness, Referral and Treatment for Substance Use Disorders
Project Summary:
The UT-HEARTS program provides integrated substance use disorders (SUD) treatment and HIV/AIDS prevention services for ethnic minority individuals who are at risk for or affected by HIV/AIDS.
Population:
Emergency department patients presenting with low acuity conditions who acknowledge substance use. HIV risks are also assessed.
Outcomes:
Referral to UT-HEARTS program and follow-up to referrals from the ED.
Enrollment:
Began Nov. 2017 (2017-2022; 2022-2027)
Study Team:
Angela Heads, PhD (UT-HEARTS Program PI) | Sarah Sapp, MPH (Research Assistant)
Dissemination:
Gilmore-Thomas, A., Heads, A., Hill, M., Hamilton, J., Schmitz, J. Emotion regulation moderates the relationships between substance use and risky sexual behaviors. Presented at the College on Problems of Drug Dependence Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX, June, 2019.
Hill, M. Linking Patients to Preventive Services through an Emergency Department Visit. The 2nd Annual Health Disparities Conference at UTHealth at Tyler. September 13-14, 2019. Oral Presentation.
Hill, M., Hudson, T., Gilmore-Thomas, A., and Heads, A. Linking Patients with Substance Misuse to an outpatient substance use treatment program from the emergency department visit. 8th Annual Houston Global Health Conference. March 7, 2020. Poster Presentation.
Funding and Collaborators:
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Project Leadership:
Mandy J. Hill, DrPH, MPH
Mandy Hill, DrPH, MPH completed her doctoral studies in public health (Disease Control) at the University of TX Health, School of Public Health and her master studies in epidemiology at Tulane School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine. She directs Public Health research in the department.
Her research priority is creating a niche that merges public health and emergency medicine, with a concentration on HIV/AIDS, STI, and cervical cancer prevention. Her research fund of knowledge is rooted in several years of public health training complimented by years of public health and clinical research experience. She routinely collaborates with clinical and community researchers resulting in abstracts, poster presentations, manuscripts, and federal/non-federal grant submissions. Dr. Hill is designated as Site Director & Co-Investigator for this project.