East Bay Getting to Zero
Photo of East Bay Linkage and Retention working group from the September 26, 2019 strategic planning meeting.
East Bay Linkage and Retention Working Group (2019)

The EBGTZ linkage and retention working group identifies and addresses barriers to care and disparities in HIV outcomes. The learning collaborative was created in 2011 and involves over 200 members and 42 organizations. This working group develops and implements strategic plans to improve warm hand-offs, rapid ART initiation, and creative ways to engage young people, transgender people, people of color, people with unstable housing, and other key populations that face HIV-related health inequities.

Through its uniquely collaborative, community-driven problem-solving, the EBGTZ linkage and retention working group has implemented rapid, warm hand-off linkage and data-to-care processes since it formed in 2011. During that time, Alameda County HIV linkage rates have increased from 70% in 2012 to 84% in 2020 and viral load suppression rates have increased from 36% in 2012 to 70% in 2020. EBGTZ aims to increase the percentage of people newly diagnosed with HIV linked to care within 30 days to ≥90% and the percentage of people living with HIV who are virally suppressed to ≥80% by 2023.

The East Bay Linkage and Retention Working Group strategic priorities for 2020 to 2025:
1. Strengthen warm hand-offs and rapid linkage to PrEP and HIV care
2. Build mobile and community-based healing-centered one-stop shops
3. Offer integrated same-day access to mental health and substance use services
4. Use inclusive, intentional messaging to inspire hope and engagement in services,
5. Use secure technology-enabled access to multilingual services
6. Train staff to implement these strategies in a trauma-informed and healing-centered way
To achieve 90% linkage rates and a 75% reduction in new diagnoses.

Click here to view and download the Linkage and Retention Strategic Plan for 2020-2025.

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COVID-19 updates

This page includes East Bay COVID viral levels, testing, vaccine, masking, prevention, treatment and other resources, which are updated with practice-changing developments.

HIV updates

Find the latest East Bay HIV updates on this page, including practice-changing studies and developments.

East Bay HIV Strategic Plan

Updates on the East Bay HIV strategic plan are posted on this webpage. This is a community-driven “living” East Bay HIV strategic plan that is flexible and responsive to local needs, addresses structural inequities, and is used to make systemic change to achieve our vision of an East Bay with zero HIV stigma, zero health disparities, and zero new HIV transmissions.