WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18

11:00am – 3:30pm: INSTITUTES
1:00 – 4:00pm: HIV PCP INSTITUTE
1:00 – 5:00pm: HIV PNC INSTITUTE
4:00 – 5:30pm: TRACK SESSIONS

THURSDAY, MARCH 19

9:00 – 10:30am: PLENARY SESSION
10:45am – 12:15pm: TRACK SESSIONS
12:20 – 2:00pm: LUNCH PLENARY
2:15 – 3:45pm: TRACK SESSIONS
4:00 – 5:30pm: TRACK SESSIONS

FRIDAY, MARCH 20

9:00 – 10:30am: PLENARY SESSION
10:45am – 12:15pm: TRACK SESSIONS
12:20 – 1:30pm: LUNCH PLENARY

This schedule is preliminary and subject to change.

Health Services

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Today

  • Forward in SYNChronicity for STIs

    Leveraging Quality Improvement to Improve HIV Outcomes

    Studio C
    STIs Track

    In recent years, sexually transmitted infections (STI) rates in the United States have risen dramatically, with more than 2.4 million STIs reported in the United States alone (CDC, 2024). STIs can have a profound impact on health, including infertility, neurological and cardiovascular disease, stillbirths, and increased risk of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). This growing epidemic demands urgent action to enhance the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of STIs.

  • Forward in SYNChronicity for STIs

    Doxycycline vs. Benzathine Penicillin G for Treatment of Syphilis: A Retrospective Analysis from a Large Sexual Health Organization

    Studio C
    STIs Track

    Limited evidence suggests that doxycycline may be comparable to penicillin for the treatment of syphilis, but perhaps less so for latent stages. A total of 655 individuals were included, 539 who were treated with benzathine PCN G (BPG) and 116 treated with doxycycline. For our primary analysis, we included all RPR titers up to 24 months after treatment for all stages of syphilis treated from April 2022 through September 2023.

  • Forward in SYNChronicity for Hepatitis C

    Findings From a Formative Evaluation of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Care and Treatment Co-Located in Non-Traditional Service Settings for People Who Use Drugs in New York State

    Terrace
    Hepatitis C Track

    Understanding that the complexity and segmentation of the healthcare system can pose unique challenges to providing medical care in non-traditional settings in the United States, a formative evaluation was conducted to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness, and whether enrolled clients completed the care cascade measured by four performance indicators: linkage to care, treatment initiation, treatment completion, and achievement of SVR-12.

  • Forward in SYNChronicity for Hepatitis C

    No Missed Opportunities: A Client-Centered Telehealth Model for Hepatitis C in Inpatient Substance Use Treatment Programs

    Terrace
    Hepatitis C Track

    People who use drugs (PWUDs) face structural barriers to access prevention and care for hepatitis C (HCV) infection. While many inpatient substance use treatment programs (ISUTPs) often screen for HCV, few provide treatment, leading to missed opportunities for care. This presentation will introduce a client-centered telehealth model, initiating HCV treatment during detoxification and rehabilitation to enhance early engagement and ensure continuity of care.

  • Forward in SYNChronicity for Drug User Health

    Participant Perspectives on Contingency Management for Stimulant Use Treatment

    Studio C
    Drug User Health Track

    Contingency Management (CM) is a behavioral intervention option for stimulant use that involves immediate, tangible rewards to individuals to reinforce positive self-identified behavior change. In 2023, in response to rising rates of stimulant overdose deaths, California became the first state in the U.S. to offer CM as a benefit through public insurance. Having already embraced CM over two decades prior through the Positive Reinforcement Opportunity Project (PROP)—originally designed for men who have sex with men to reduce sexually transmitted infections through reducing methamphetamine use—San Francisco was well positioned to expand this model, and over the last two years expanded CM to more than a dozen programs throughout the city benefitting diverse populations.

  • Forward in SYNChronicity for HIV Prevention

    Blueprint to Building a Solid HIV Testing Program

    Studio E
    HIV Prevention Track

    Power of PreventionThis presentation will highlight how to build a successful HIV testing program in the community. These are not abstract methods, but concrete steps to provide a clear plan on creating an HIV testing program that will ensure more people will have access to free, rapid testing.

  • Forward in SYNChronicity for HIV Prevention

    Developing Linkage to Comprehensive Prevention Services in an Emergency Department Setting

    Studio E
    HIV Prevention Track

    Power of PreventionThis presentation will discuss the opportunities for implementing linkage to comprehensive services by assessing populations who are seen in the ED testing for STIs, including syphilis and HIV. We will explore the operations of identifying eligible patients, including our collaborations with the public health department, our Infectious Disease Clinic, and our Title V Clinic. We will highlight what is going well and discuss areas of improvement.
    This presentation will also review the successes and challenges of launching a rapid PrEP program in an ED setting.

  • Forward in SYNChronicity for HIV Prevention

    Integration Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis in Emergency Medicine: A Single-Center Model at Tampa General Hospital

    Studio E
    HIV Prevention Track

    Power of PreventionAs 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.

  • Forward in SYNChronicity for HIV Care and Treatment

    HIV and Cognitive Decline: The Power of Partnership

    Potomac B
    HIV Care and Treatment Track

    As people living with HIV (PLWH) age, cognitive decline presents a growing yet underaddressed challenge. This presentation highlights an innovative collaboration between The Grand Rapids Red Project (TGRRP) and the Alzheimer’s Association Michigan Chapter (AAMC) to implement routine cognitive screenings within TGRRP’s HIV care programs. The initiative targets PLWH aged 44+ and those exhibiting overt cognitive impairment, aiming to bridge gaps in care complexity for aging populations.

    In this presentation, AAMC will review national trends in HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) and statewide efforts to develop programming for aging PLWH through partnerships with community-based organizations (CBOs). With AAMC’s support, TGRRP designed an HIV and aging pilot program featuring tailored screening tools, staff training, and referral pathways—offering replicable strategies for similar programs.

  • Forward in SYNChronicity for Hepatitis C

    HCV (Testing, Linkage and Treatment) in the Time Before and After COVID in Alabama

    Terrace
    Hepatitis C Track

    In the US and globally, there have been two secular events exogenous to the HCV epidemic that has impacted HCV negatively. The first is well documented with the accompanying rise in the Opioid epidemic resulting in the uptick in HCV infections particularly among the population younger than the baby boomer generation. The second is the advent of COVID-19 that caused disruptions in testing, linkage and treatment of people living with Hepatitis C. We showcase the impact COVID 19 had on our testing program in Alabama.

Accreditation, Credit, and Support

Information on credits offered to SYNC participants for attending institutes, sessions, and plenaries — live or in-person — is available here.

Commercial Support Acknowledgement

This conference is supported, in part, by independent educational grants from ineligible companies. A full list of supporters is available here. All accredited content has been developed and delivered in accordance with the ACCME Standards for Integrity and Independence and the criteria of Joint Accreditation for Interprofessional Continuing Education™, and is free of commercial bias.