Impact and News
CLAFH Director Appointed to National Academies Committee on Racial and Ethnic Inequities in Health Care
CLAFH Director Dr. Vincent Guilamo-Ramos was appointed to serve on the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s (NASEM) ad hoc consensus committee, “Unequal Treatment Revisited: The Current State of Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care”. The Committee will examine the current state of racial and ethnic healthcare inequities in the United States and identify interventions and recommendations to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities.
To read the full announcement, click here.
CLAFH Director Presents at Association of Nurses in AIDS Care Annual Meeting
CLAFH Director Dr. Vincent Guilamo-Ramos presented the keynote address to the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care’s annual meeting in Tampa, Florida. His presentation, Reimagining the Role of the HIV Workforce in Ending the HIV Epidemic, highlighted gaps in the national HIV response that have contributed to persistent inequities in new HIV infections in the United States, particularly in new infections among young Black and Latino men who have sex with men. Dr. Guilamo-Ramos’ also emphasized the need for team-based care focused on whole-person health and expanding the role of nurses to improve access to HIV prevention and treatment services.
To read a Clinical Advisor article on Dean Ramos’ presentation, click here.
CLAFH Director Included in 2022 POZ 100 List Celebrating Latino Advocates
CLAFH Director Dr. Vincent Guilamo-Ramos was honored for “making a difference in the fight against HIV/AIDS” as part of the 2022 POZ 100 list of Latino advocates. Dr. Guilamo-Ramos was recognized for his research on family-based prevention and mitigation of harmful social determinants of health among Latino and other underserved communities.
The full 2022 POZ 100 list is available here.
CLAFH to be Represented at Aspen Global Leadership Network
CLAFH Director and Dean of the Duke University School of Nursing, Dr. Vincent Guilamo-Ramos joins a cohort of 21 leaders and innovators in healthcare in the Aspen Institute Health Innovators Fellowship’s sixth class. The fellowship opportunity provides health leaders with the opportunity to further develop their leadership endeavors through purposeful conversations with other fellows.
To view the Aspen Institute press release and to meet the 21 Health Innovator Fellows, click here.
CLAFH Answers Teens’ Questions about Sexual Health in “Ask the Expert” Video
CLAFH partnered with the Administration for Children & Families, Family and Youth Services Bureau, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, and RTI International to conduct a Q&A answering teens’ original questions about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) as part of the “We Think Twice” campaign. “We Think Twice” is an initiative designed to promote healthy decision-making, relationships, and sexual health among adolescents.
To view the Q&A, click here
CLAFH Director Delivers 2022 Directors’ Lecture on Social Determinants of Health at National Institute of Nursing Research CLAFH Director Vincent Guilamo-Ramos delivered the 2022 Director’s Lecture at the National Institute of Nursing Research on July 12, 2022. The lecture discussed pressing contemporary challenges to advancing health equity and introduced a heuristic framework design to inform efforts to mitigate the social determinants of health through multi-level, nursing-led interventions.
To view a recording of the lecture with closed captioning, click here
CLAFH Contributes to NASEM Workshop on Family-Focused Interventions for Adolescent Substance Use
CLAFH director Vincent Guilamo-Ramos served as a member of the planning committee of a workshop hosted by The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). The panel featured expert speakers on Family-Focused Interventions to Prevent Substance Use Disorders in Adolescence.
A recording of the concluding panel is available to view online here
Dailynurse.com: Duke Nursing Dean Ramos Testifies FPA Is About Health Equity On March 29, 2022, CLAFH Director and Dean of the Duke University School of Nursing, Dr. Vincent Guilamo-Ramos testified to the North Carolina legislature about the importance of granting nurse practitioners full practice authority in the state. Dr. Guilamo-Ramos emphasized the current nursing workforce shortages and evidence from other states already granting full NP practice authority that NP practice contributes to positive outcomes, particularly regarding health equity and addressing rural healthcare shortages. 26 States, Washington D.C., and two U.S. territories have already passed fully NP practice authority.
To read a Daily Nurse article on Dean Ramos’ remarks, click here
To view a copy of Dean Ramos’ presentation, click here
CLAFH NCFP Project Highlighted in Duke Nursing Magazine
The Spring/Summer 2022 Issue of Duke Nursing Magazine highlights the CLAFH nurse-community-family partnership (NCFP) initiative to mitigate COVID-19 inequities in underserved communities of the South Bronx, NYC. The article focuses on an innovative approach to mitigating the social determinants of health and addressing health inequity through a nursing-led intervention that adopts an interdisciplinary, family-centered, and community-based approach to the delivery of prevention and care services in the local community. NCFP is also part of the larger National Institute of Health’s RADx-UP initiative to expand COVID-19 prevention and mitigation through community-based interventions to underserved populations.
To read the full DUSON Magazine article, click here
To learn more about the NIH RADxUP initiative, click here
CLAFH Contributes to National HIV Testing Day Blog on HIV.gov
To promote National HIV Testing Day on June 27, CLAFH Director and member of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA) Dr. Vincent Guilamo-Ramos spoke to Kaye Hayes about the importance of HIV testing for efforts to end the HIV epidemic and the need to evolve health care systems to better meet the needs of populations in greatest need of HIV testing and treatment, particularly youth.
He also highlights his appointment as Dean of the Duke University School of Nursing as an opportunity to more effectively leverage nurses for HIV testing, prevention, and treatment. The conversation is available in a two-part blog post on the HIV.gov blog.
CLAFH Releases Commentary and Animated Video in Honor of the Year of the Nurse
In honor of the 2020-2021 International Year of the Nurse/Midwife, CLAFH researchers and colleagues from around the globe published a commentary in The Lancet Infectious Diseases highlighting the indispensable role of nurses in addressing infectious disease outbreak and pandemics.
In addition, CLAFH produced an animated video to highlight the ideas reflected in the commentary and to fully recognize the indispensable role of nurses in health care - in the United States and globally.
CLAFH Awarded Grant to Support HIV Leadership Development in Latino Communities
CLAFH has received funding from ViiV Healthcare to launch the Instituto DILES [English: DILES (Tell Them) Institute], a 12-month program that builds leadership skills among Latinx individuals to drive meaningful change in their communities toward ending the HIV epidemic for Latinx men. The 12-month program will enroll DILES Fellows, who receive training and mentorship in core areas of HIV leadership and who will develop real-world projects in their local communities in order to impact real change in real time. These projects are designed to bring attention to the HIV/AIDS epidemic among Latinx men in order to support the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative.
CLAFH Director Appointed to CDC/HRSA Advisory Committee
CLAFH Director Dr. Vincent Guilamo-Ramos was appointed to serve on the CDC/HRSA Advisory Committee on HIV, Viral Hepatitis and STD Prevention and Treatment (CHACHSPT). The CHACHSPT advises the Secretary of Health and Human Services; the CDC Director; and the Health Resources and Services Administration regarding objectives, strategies, policies, and priorities for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, and STD prevention and treatment efforts. In addition, Dr. Guilamo-Ramos currently serves as a member of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA), and the HHS Panel on Antiretroviral Guidelines for Adults and Adolescents.
CLAFH Researchers Contribute to National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Consensus Study on Sexually Transmitted Infections in the U.S.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (National Academies) released a new consensus study report on new directions for prevention and control of sexually transmitted infections in the United States. CLAFH researchers contributed to the new report, Sexually Transmitted Infections: Adopting a Sexual Health Paradigm, including CLAFH Director Vincent Guilamo-Ramos as a committee member and CLAFH scholars Adam Benzekri and Marco Thimm-Kaiser as consultants.
CLAFH Researchers Contribute to Revision of HHS Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents Among Adolescents and Young Adults with HIV
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Panel on Antiretroviral Guidelines for Adults and Adolescents released revised guidelines for the use of antiretroviral agents among adolescents and young adults with HIV. CLAFH Director Dr. Vincent Guilamo-Ramos contributed to the revisions as a member of the Panel.
CLAFH Director Presents at the National Ending the HIV Epidemic Meeting
CLAFH Director Dr. Vincent Guilamo-Ramos hosted a plenary session at the 2021 National Ending the HIV Epidemic Meeting at the Washington, DC Center for AIDS research. He presented a talk entitled Revisiting the Invisible Latino HIV Crisis: Amplifying Strategies for Improving the National Response, in which he conducts a Latino-focused assessment of progress toward core indicators of success outlined in the National Strategic Plan to end the HIV epidemic.
CLAFH Draws Attention to the Unique Needs of Adolescents and Young Adults in the National Response to COVID-19
CLAFH researchers and colleagues published a viewpoint article in Clinical Infectious Diseases discussing the role of adolescents and young adults in transmission dynamics, and the health risks for adolescents and young adults, and considerations for a response to COVID-19 that takes adolescent and young adult development into account.
Media Coverage
The below press coverage highlight the work of CLAFH and its leadership.
The Pulse: To work right, Medicaid expansion requires additional action
Following the recent move to expand Medicaid in the state of North Carolina, CLAFH Director Dr. Vincent Guilamo-Ramos draws attention to the need to reduce health inequities in affordability and access to healthcare by addressing primary care health professional shortages in this opinion article. Many rural and underserved areas throughout North Carolina have a shortage of primary care health professionals; Dr. Guilamo-Ramos discussed how leveraging nurses could help alleviate those shortages and reduce inequities in access to quality health services.
Texas Public Radio: Texas lawmakers work to increase or limit access to contraceptives
CLAFH Director Dr. Vincent Guilamo-Ramos is quoted in this article on the importance of access to comprehensive and culturally sensitive sexual education in preventing unplanned pregnancies, particularly for underserved areas and communities. The impacts of recent Texas legislative efforts to decrease or expand access to contraceptives and sexual education may be pronounced in underserved areas like the Rio Grande Valley, including its low-income Latino communities.
CNN Opinion: We must change the way we fight HIV
In an opinion piece for World AIDS Day, Dr. Vincent Guilamo-Ramos contends that persistent inequities in who gets HIV, due to unequal social and structural influences, highlights the need for targeted and evidence-based strategies in order to expand the reach of HIV prevention, treatment, and health professionals.
The Hill: Rethinking birth control and pregnancy planning as a national priority
CLAFH Director Dr. Vincent Guilamo-Ramos discusses several policy opportunities to increase access to contraceptive options across the United States in this opinion article. Currently, 19 million American women do not have access to a health center offering full contraceptive options. Access to birth control is associated with better economic and educational outcomes and can help reduce the number of unplanned pregnancies nationwide.
Jezebel.com: PrEP Gave Us a Tool for Ending HIV, But It Has Failed to Deliver The DILES Institute—an initiative aimed at building young Latino leaders in the fight against HIV-AIDS--was cited in this article that focuses on the barriers and limitations of PrEP uptake across the United States on the medication’s ten-year anniversary of FDA approval. PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, is a preventive medication taken to prevent HIV transmission. CLAFH Director Guilamo-Ramos highlighted the need for strengthening organizations and leadership capacities in Latino communities as the path forward for ending the HIV epidemic.
To read the full article, click here
Meet the Dean: Duke Nursing Schools’ first Hispanic, male leader focuses on the future of Health Care
As part of Hispanic Heritage month, CBS17 in Durham, North Carolina featured CLAFH Director and Dean of Duke University School of Nursing Dr. Vincent Guilamo-Ramos. Dean Guilamo-Ramos spoke about how his background in social work and public health led him to the nursing profession and its whole-person, contextualized approach to healthcare, as well as his hope to be a mirror for future nurses from underrepresented backgrounds.
Qué Pasa: Inauguran centro de investigación sobre salud de familias latinas
This article spotlights the launch of the Center for Latino Adolescent and Family Health (CLAFH) at DUSON and how CLAFH works to strengthen the role of families in supporting the health of Latino adolescents and young adults and has conducted outreach to the Latino community throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Hill: To Ramp Up COVID Vaccine Distribution, Empower the Nation's Health Students
In this opinion article, Dr. Vincent Guilamo-Ramos and Marco Thimm-Kaiser discuss the potential for the United States to mobilize its students to supplement the COVID-19 vaccine workforce, reduce vaccine hesitancy, and help heal a divided nation.
This radio broadcast features Dr. Vincent Guilamo-Ramos discussing how COVID-19 has disproportionately affected communities of color with a particular focus on the Bronx, New York City.
In this article, Dr. Vincent Guilamo-Ramos and Dr. Barbara Taylor discuss how, in order for the U.S. to reach its goal of ending the HIV epidemic by 2030, interventions must be better tailored to meet the needs of Latino populations.
In this article, Dr. Vincent Guilamo-Ramos discusses progress and remaining gaps in HIV prevention, treatment, and care services for Latinx populations as well as the barriers that continue to perpetuate HIV disparities within Latino communities.
In this podcast, Dr. Vincent Guilamo-Ramos discusses how COVID-19 has affected the Latino community as well as necessary steps to reduce resulting and pre-existing health disparities.
Science Speaks: Some of Those Most Impacted by COVID-19 are Young - and Living with HIV
In this article, Dr. Vincent Guilamo-Ramos discusses the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescents and young adults.
NBC Visiones: HIV/AIDS and the Latino Community
This news interview features Dr. Vincent Guilamo-Ramos discussing his appointment to the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV and AIDS and the largely invisible HIV crisis in Latino communities in the United States.
San Francisco AIDS Foundation: Unrecognized HIV Crisis in Latinx Community Revealed by New Report
This article features Dr. Vincent Guilamo-Ramos discussing the largely invisible HIV crisis in Latino communities in the United States and the importance of culturally appropriate care to address this crisis.
Newsweek: Hispanic and Latino People In The U.S. Are Struggling With "Invisible" HIV Crisis
This article features CLAFH and Dr. Vincent Guilamo-Ramos in discussing the largely invisible HIV crisis experienced by Latino communities in the United States.
New York Daily News: On AIDS, A Dark Cloud in a Brightening Sky: Latinx Infections are Rising
In this article, Dr. Vincent Guilamo-Ramos, Marco Thimm-Kaiser, and Guillermo Chacón discuss new HIV infections that are on the rise in Latino communities and the need for reinforced efforts to ensure that HIV prevention, treatment, and support services reach Latinos who are most in need.
The Guardian — "Invisible Epidemic": Progress Against HIV Leaves Young Latino Men Behind
This article features CLAFH's work on combating rising numbers of HIV diagnoses among young Latino men in the Bronx, New York City — by engaging their parents to promote safe sex, sexual health, and life opportunities.
The Conversation: Youth Living in Settlements at US Border Suffer Poverty and Lack of Health Care (Spanish version)
In this opinion article, Dr. Vincent Guilamo-Ramos and Marco Thimm-Kaiser discuss the socioeconomic and health challenges faced by Latino youth living in "colonias" — largely unincorporated settlements at the U.S. border — as well as steps to address these longstanding challenges.
This article highlights Dr. Vincent Guilamo-Ramos and his work as Director of CLAFH as exemplary for the contribution of Latinos to health services in the United States.
New York Times: Bronx Program Encourages Fathers to Talk About Sex
This article features CLAFH's work with fathers and their adolescent sons as part of the Fathers Raising Responsible Men (FRRM) intervention in the Bronx, New York City. FRRM is designed to support fathers in talking to their adolescent sons about sex, condoms, and future goals in order to promote sexual health and life opportunities.
Washington Post: Fathers Play Key Role in Teens' Sexual Behavior
In this article, Dr. Vincent Guilamo-Ramos discusses the important but too seldom recognized influence of fathers on shaping adolescent sexual behavior and sexual health.
In this interview, Dr. Vincent Guilamo-Ramos speaks about the important role of parents in shaping adolescent sexual health and he discusses his ongoing work in the Bronx, New York City, to support parents in addressing sex and sexual health with their adolescents.
PACHA is the primary organization for relaying information and recommendations to the U.S. Secretary of Health & Human Services relating to HIV/AIDs research, innovation, and policy in the fight to end the HIV epidemic. CLAFH Director Dr. Vincent Guilamo-Ramos spoke about strengthening the HIV workforce in his talk, “Focused Strategies for Reimagining the HIV Workforce and Achieving the Goals of EHE” at the March 15th full council meeting in Washington, DC. Other highlights of the event included an interactive community engagement session and an update on the National HIV/AIDs strategy from Harold Phillips, the White House Office of National AIDS Policy director.
Recordings of the community engagement sessions are available to watch here
To view the slides from Dr. Ramos’ presentation and others’, click here