As part of the Hillsborough Health Equity Plan, a formative research initiative was conducted to increase the uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among Black and Latinx men who have sex with men (MSM) aged 25–34 in Hillsborough County, Florida. The study explored patient and provider experiences within on-demand care settings, such as urgent care clinics and emergency departments (EDs), where opportunities for PrEP intervention are often missed.

Using the Community-Based Prevention Marketing (CBPM) framework, healthcare providers in these settings were identified as the priority population due to their frontline role in PrEP delivery. Semi-structured interviews with six providers identified two key themes: the need for streamlined care coordination and provider-focused training to reduce stigma and enhance comfort in prescribing PrEP.

Concurrently, Tampa General Hospital’s Department of Emergency Medicine developed a PrEP implementation model designed to identify and serve high-risk patients using the ED as their primary care source. This model incorporates EMR-integrated HIV risk scores, real-time flagging, PrEP-trained patient navigators, same-day PrEP initiation, and evidence-based provider education modules. A unified patient flowchart was created to map the complete PrEP experience—from risk identification through administration and referral for follow-up care.

Together, the research and implementation efforts support an integrated strategy that combines public health social marketing with clinical innovation. This approach not only aims to increase equitable access to PrEP in Hillsborough County but also provides a scalable model for implementing PrEP programs in other urban settings, contributing to broader HIV prevention efforts nationwide.