At a glance
Jurisdictions are leaning into targeted STI prevention and treatment strategies by focusing on the needs and interests of local communities and delivering partnerships invested in meeting people where they are.
May 2024
In May 2024, the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) and the Shelby County Health Department (SCHD) identified a concerning rise in HIV and syphilis cases among youth aged 15-19 in Shelby County, supported by an analysis showing a statistically significant increase in diagnoses. TDH and SCHD quickly initiated a comprehensive response, recognizing challenges in case reporting, field investigations, and surveillance software transitions.
To support their efforts, TDH requested technical assistance from CDC's Divisions of STD Prevention (DSTDP) and HIV Prevention (DHP) in the areas of disease intervention, program evaluation, and surveillance/informatics.
To address the backlog in syphilis reporting and investigations, three CDC disease intervention (DI) professionals were deployed in June 2024 to work alongside SCHD staff, providing 88 hours of hands-on technical assistance. Together, they conducted 49 field investigations, 75 visits, and 14 case interviews, resulting in 13 elicited partners and 14 people treated for syphilis. The CDC DI professionals also supported SCHD in strengthening case management practices, improving documentation and timeliness, enhancing DI training, and fostering collaboration through regular meetings and partnerships with local clinicians. The DI professionals recommended working closely with high volume facilities and using performance metrics to guide efficient, data-driven investigations.
In September 2024, a CDC program evaluation team worked with TDH and SCHD staff to assess HIV/STI program processes, identify strengths, and recommend areas for improvement. Key recommendations included achieving full staffing with competitive compensation, strengthening supervisory capacity, and implementing quality assurance measures such as regular case reviews and audits. To further support surveillance efforts, CDC also provided virtual technical assistance on developing and implementing a syphilis search tool, which would help SCHD and TDH more efficiently manage the high volume of syphilis reports.
These efforts and multipronged technical assistance resulted in tangible improvements. SCHD and TDH significantly reduced the backlog of HIV and syphilis reports; SCHD hired additional DI professionals, and integrated field visits as a standard part of investigations. TDH's leadership in surveillance modernization and program support laid the foundation for sustained improvements in case management, while SCHD advanced partnerships with local clinicians and facilities. Together, TDH and SCHD have built a more responsive, efficient, and collaborative approach to STI/HIV prevention and control.