Selected Podcast
Maimonides' Life Forward Program: HIV/AIDS is Not The End
The Life Forward Program at Maimonides was founded to provide the best medical care and social services for Brooklyn patients with HIV and AIDS. Dr. Monica Ghitan discusses how the Life Forward Program offers psychological support, nutritional counseling, among other services, in addition to excellent medical care.
Featured Speaker:
Monica Ghitan, MD
Dr. Monica Ghitan is the Associate Director of Infectious Diseases and Fellowship Program DIrector in the Department of Medicine at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY. Dr. Ghitan is also Medical Director of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program. She has been part of the team for years, completing both her medical residency and post-doctor fellowship at Maimonides. Dr. Monica Ghitan has been involved in a wide range of research, including infections epidemiology and transmission, resistant organisms and Clostridium Difficile among other. She has professional affiliations with the American Medical Association, the American College of Physicians and the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Dr. Ghitan holds the academic title of Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at SUNY Downstate. Transcription:
Maimonides' Life Forward Program: HIV/AIDS is Not The End
Evo Terra: It's been over 40 years since the aids epidemic of 1981. In that time, amazing advances in medicine have taken place with great many patients leading full and healthy lives. The Life Forward Program from maimonides was founded to provide the best medical care and social services for Brooklyn patients with HIV and AIDS.
To discuss the program in more depth, today, I'll chat with Dr. Monica Ghitan, the Associate Director of Infectious Diseases and Fellowship Program Director in the Department of Medicine at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn.
This is my Maimo Med Talk. I'm your host, Evo Terra. Dr. Ghitan, let's start at the top. What is Maimonides' Life Forward Program?
Dr. Monica Ghitan: The Maimonides Life Forward program is a program designed to cater to the needs of patients infected with HIV and those infected with hepatitis. We are a small, think about mom and pop pharmacy kind of a situation where every single patient is seen one by one by a physician and by our HIV coordinator.
Evo Terra: Can you get into the specifics of what the program offers?
Dr. Monica Ghitan: Oh, absolutely. So we offer physical exams to the patients. We offer laboratory monitoring, medication monitoring and medication advice. We offer comprehensive medical examination and referral to various specialties in the medical field. We also refer patients as needed to psychological counseling or to psychiatry services. We also refer our patients and help them collaborate with social service agencies. We offer nutritional and lifestyle consultation and, as needed, financial counseling as well.
Evo Terra: Excellent. Okay. So let's talk about getting patients into the program. Would a participant need a referral from their doctor? And if so, which doctor provides said referral?
Dr. Monica Ghitan: There's no referral needed. If a doctor, if a physician wants to refer their patients to us. We are happy to accept them. However, if somebody does happen to hear about us from, I don't know, elsewhere, they can call the number and we'll be equally happy to see them.
Evo Terra: That's amazing. So there at Maimonides, are all of your HIV and AIDS patients automatically enrolled in the program?
Dr. Monica Ghitan: Well, I'm not exactly clear what you mean by automatically. Once a patient is seen in our program, it is part of the program. If the patient is seen in the hospital, they're not automatically enrolled in the program. They need to come and see us as outpatients. But once that happens, then I guess after that, it's automatic.
Evo Terra: All right. That's great. Let's go to the next spot here, which is how can HIV or AIDS patients benefit from the Life Forward Program? How specifically are people taking advantage of what the program has to offer?
Dr. Monica Ghitan: Well, they can take advantage of the program by using all of the services that I mentioned before. And there's one thing that I have not mentioned at that time. We also provide HIV testing and counseling for people that are not necessarily HIV-positive, as well as pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis.
Evo Terra: Can you expand on that a little bit more, when you talk about the programs offered in pre- and post-exposure?
Dr. Monica Ghitan: Absolutely. Pre-exposure prophylaxis, it's a part of a larger concept in HIV care nowadays. As we learn more and more about HIV and HIV medications are becoming more potent, higher durability and better tolerated, we have come to learn that once a patient is undetectable, they are unlikely to transmit HIV infections to other people. And that's where the slogan U Equals U means, undetectable equals untransmissable.
Until that undetectable point happens, we are offering partners that are in discordant relations, meaning one partner is positive, the other one is negative, we are offering the negative partner prophylaxis until the infected one achieves undetectable status.
Evo Terra: Excellent. Let's talk about finances and insurance. Do we only work with insured patients? You mentioned previously, there are some financial aid options available, I believe. Can you talk more about that?
Dr. Monica Ghitan: We're accepting every single patient and those that do not have insurance, our coordinator works with them to obtain medical insurance that will cover for the HIV care.
Evo Terra: And I know when it comes to many diseases, not just HIV and hepatitis C, there's a great desire for people to maintain their privacy. It's a very private thing we're talking about with people. So what steps are taken by the program to ensure that the patient's privacy is protected?
Dr. Monica Ghitan: Well, it's the whole motto of our practice, but it starts with stepping into the office. The waiting room, it's in an enclosed area where our HIV patients are the only ones seen. And in the medical space, our team are the only people at one given time who see patients. And that helps our patient's level of comfort, what their information and their status being in HIV clinic not made public around the hospital.
Evo Terra: Right. And so that's all great information. Where can a person learn more about this program?
Dr. Monica Ghitan: Maimo.org. Once you get on the Maimonides website at maimo.org, if you scroll on to Clinical Excellence Center and click on Learn More, scroll down and there's a tab with Life Forward. And there, you'll be able to find more. Call to make an appointment or email to make an appointment. I would recommend calling though.
Evo Terra: Thank you for all of the information.
Dr. Monica Ghitan: Thank you for talking to me.
Evo Terra: And you can find more about us as the doctor mentioned online at maimo.org. That's M-A-I-M-O dot org. This has been Maimo Med Talk. I'm your host, Evo Terra. Stay well.
Maimonides' Life Forward Program: HIV/AIDS is Not The End
Evo Terra: It's been over 40 years since the aids epidemic of 1981. In that time, amazing advances in medicine have taken place with great many patients leading full and healthy lives. The Life Forward Program from maimonides was founded to provide the best medical care and social services for Brooklyn patients with HIV and AIDS.
To discuss the program in more depth, today, I'll chat with Dr. Monica Ghitan, the Associate Director of Infectious Diseases and Fellowship Program Director in the Department of Medicine at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn.
This is my Maimo Med Talk. I'm your host, Evo Terra. Dr. Ghitan, let's start at the top. What is Maimonides' Life Forward Program?
Dr. Monica Ghitan: The Maimonides Life Forward program is a program designed to cater to the needs of patients infected with HIV and those infected with hepatitis. We are a small, think about mom and pop pharmacy kind of a situation where every single patient is seen one by one by a physician and by our HIV coordinator.
Evo Terra: Can you get into the specifics of what the program offers?
Dr. Monica Ghitan: Oh, absolutely. So we offer physical exams to the patients. We offer laboratory monitoring, medication monitoring and medication advice. We offer comprehensive medical examination and referral to various specialties in the medical field. We also refer patients as needed to psychological counseling or to psychiatry services. We also refer our patients and help them collaborate with social service agencies. We offer nutritional and lifestyle consultation and, as needed, financial counseling as well.
Evo Terra: Excellent. Okay. So let's talk about getting patients into the program. Would a participant need a referral from their doctor? And if so, which doctor provides said referral?
Dr. Monica Ghitan: There's no referral needed. If a doctor, if a physician wants to refer their patients to us. We are happy to accept them. However, if somebody does happen to hear about us from, I don't know, elsewhere, they can call the number and we'll be equally happy to see them.
Evo Terra: That's amazing. So there at Maimonides, are all of your HIV and AIDS patients automatically enrolled in the program?
Dr. Monica Ghitan: Well, I'm not exactly clear what you mean by automatically. Once a patient is seen in our program, it is part of the program. If the patient is seen in the hospital, they're not automatically enrolled in the program. They need to come and see us as outpatients. But once that happens, then I guess after that, it's automatic.
Evo Terra: All right. That's great. Let's go to the next spot here, which is how can HIV or AIDS patients benefit from the Life Forward Program? How specifically are people taking advantage of what the program has to offer?
Dr. Monica Ghitan: Well, they can take advantage of the program by using all of the services that I mentioned before. And there's one thing that I have not mentioned at that time. We also provide HIV testing and counseling for people that are not necessarily HIV-positive, as well as pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis.
Evo Terra: Can you expand on that a little bit more, when you talk about the programs offered in pre- and post-exposure?
Dr. Monica Ghitan: Absolutely. Pre-exposure prophylaxis, it's a part of a larger concept in HIV care nowadays. As we learn more and more about HIV and HIV medications are becoming more potent, higher durability and better tolerated, we have come to learn that once a patient is undetectable, they are unlikely to transmit HIV infections to other people. And that's where the slogan U Equals U means, undetectable equals untransmissable.
Until that undetectable point happens, we are offering partners that are in discordant relations, meaning one partner is positive, the other one is negative, we are offering the negative partner prophylaxis until the infected one achieves undetectable status.
Evo Terra: Excellent. Let's talk about finances and insurance. Do we only work with insured patients? You mentioned previously, there are some financial aid options available, I believe. Can you talk more about that?
Dr. Monica Ghitan: We're accepting every single patient and those that do not have insurance, our coordinator works with them to obtain medical insurance that will cover for the HIV care.
Evo Terra: And I know when it comes to many diseases, not just HIV and hepatitis C, there's a great desire for people to maintain their privacy. It's a very private thing we're talking about with people. So what steps are taken by the program to ensure that the patient's privacy is protected?
Dr. Monica Ghitan: Well, it's the whole motto of our practice, but it starts with stepping into the office. The waiting room, it's in an enclosed area where our HIV patients are the only ones seen. And in the medical space, our team are the only people at one given time who see patients. And that helps our patient's level of comfort, what their information and their status being in HIV clinic not made public around the hospital.
Evo Terra: Right. And so that's all great information. Where can a person learn more about this program?
Dr. Monica Ghitan: Maimo.org. Once you get on the Maimonides website at maimo.org, if you scroll on to Clinical Excellence Center and click on Learn More, scroll down and there's a tab with Life Forward. And there, you'll be able to find more. Call to make an appointment or email to make an appointment. I would recommend calling though.
Evo Terra: Thank you for all of the information.
Dr. Monica Ghitan: Thank you for talking to me.
Evo Terra: And you can find more about us as the doctor mentioned online at maimo.org. That's M-A-I-M-O dot org. This has been Maimo Med Talk. I'm your host, Evo Terra. Stay well.