AIDS Education and Training Centers (AETCs)
Encyclopedia
The AIDS Education and Training Centers are a United States
network of five national centers, 11 regional training centers, and over 130 associated local performance sites that provide education on HIV
and related co-morbidities such as hepatitis
, tuberculosis
, and sexually transmitted diseases for healthcare providers in the United States. The AETCs were established in 1987 through federal funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration
(HRSA) Bureau of Health Professions
. In 1997, the AETCs became a component of the Ryan White
HIV/AIDS Program. The Ryan White Program is administered by HRSA’s HIV/AIDS Bureau
.
The AETC network represents all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico
, the US Virgin Islands, and the six US-affiliated Pacific Jurisdictions. The network’s centers are housed in academic sites across the country and are staffed by HIV clinicians, researchers, and educators.
. The AETCs collectively train and educate more than 125,000 participants a year.
The AETCs also offer technical assistance to healthcare clinics that provide HIV care and treatment. Common technical assistance issues include community linkages, client scheduling, agency needs assessment, and grants management.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
network of five national centers, 11 regional training centers, and over 130 associated local performance sites that provide education on HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
and related co-morbidities such as hepatitis
Hepatitis
Hepatitis is a medical condition defined by the inflammation of the liver and characterized by the presence of inflammatory cells in the tissue of the organ. The name is from the Greek hepar , the root being hepat- , meaning liver, and suffix -itis, meaning "inflammation"...
, tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
, and sexually transmitted diseases for healthcare providers in the United States. The AETCs were established in 1987 through federal funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration
Health Resources and Services Administration
The Health Resources and Services Administration , is an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services located in Rockville, Maryland...
(HRSA) Bureau of Health Professions
Bureau of Health Professions
The Bureau of Health Professions is a part of the Health Resources and Services Administration , of the United States Department of Health and Human Services.HRSA programs train health care professionals and place them where they are needed most...
. In 1997, the AETCs became a component of the Ryan White
Ryan White
Ryan Wayne White was an American teenager from Kokomo, Indiana, who became a national poster child for HIV/AIDS in the United States, after being expelled from middle school because of his infection. A hemophiliac, he became infected with HIV from a contaminated blood treatment and, when diagnosed...
HIV/AIDS Program. The Ryan White Program is administered by HRSA’s HIV/AIDS Bureau
HIV/AIDS Bureau
The HIV/AIDS Bureau is a part of the Health Resources and Services Administration , a part of the United States Department of Health and Human Services...
.
The AETC network represents all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, the US Virgin Islands, and the six US-affiliated Pacific Jurisdictions. The network’s centers are housed in academic sites across the country and are staffed by HIV clinicians, researchers, and educators.
Education
Some of the most common AETC training topics include adherence, antiretroviral therapy, opportunistic infections, prevention methods, and substance abuseSubstance abuse
A substance-related disorder is an umbrella term used to describe several different conditions associated with several different substances .A substance related disorder is a condition in which an individual uses or abuses a...
. The AETCs collectively train and educate more than 125,000 participants a year.
The AETCs also offer technical assistance to healthcare clinics that provide HIV care and treatment. Common technical assistance issues include community linkages, client scheduling, agency needs assessment, and grants management.