Episode 37 - What’s New in Primary Care of HIV – with Dr Melanie A. Thompson

Episode 37 – What’s New in Primary Care of HIV – with Dr Melanie A. Thompson

In this episode of Going anti-Viral, Dr Michael Saag speaks with Dr Melanie Thompson who is a clinical researcher and provider of HIV clinical care in Atlanta, Georgia. As Principal Investigator and Executive Director of the AIDS Research Consortium of Atlanta (ARCA), she has led over 400 studies of HIV treatment and prevention and is recognized as an expert in the treatment of patients with HIV. In the episode, Dr Thompson and Dr Saag discuss the recently released 2024 update of primary care guidance for providers who care for persons with HIV by the HIV Medicine Association of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (see links in resources below). They address topics such as telemedicine, outreach to underserved populations, and how to create a welcoming clinic to improve retention in care. They discuss how HIV providers have been leaders in primary care in areas like hepatitis and address how to bring future generations of providers into HIV medicine. Finally, they address the importance of providers being advocates to their elected representatives about HIV medicine and that providing care to individuals, no matter who they are and where they come from, improves overall public health.