Integration of Care Committee Meeting – May 20th, 2026

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David Klotz
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INTEGRATION OF CARE COMMITTEE MEETING

May 20th 2026, 10:00 – 12:05pm

By Zoom Videoconference

DRAFT MINUTES

Members Present: Steve Hemraj (Co-Chair), Jeff Natt(Co-chair), Victoria Bell, Mitchell Caponi, Billy Fields, Dorothy Farley, Ronnie Fortunato, Charmaine Graham, Christopher Joseph, Cesar Nuñez, Jesus Robles, John Schoepp

Guest/Others Present: Angela Aidala (CHAIN), Felipe Batista, Urvashi Pandya, Colby Walsh

Staff Present: NYC DOHMH: David Klotz (Governmental co-chair), Doienne Saab, Laura Moya Adames; Recipient: Johanna Acosta, Adrianna Eppinger-Meiering, Sara Kramer

Agenda Item # 1: Roll Call/Moment of Silence/Minutes

Jeff N. and Steve H. opened the meeting and reviewed the agenda. Doienne S. conducted a roll call. Members were informed that the April Integration of Care Committee minutes had been circulated in advance. No corrections noted and hence approved.

A moment of silence was held.

During public comment, committee members shared resources and community event updates as well as a link to the NY HIV Planning Council New Membership Form:

Members expressed interest in learning more about Hantavirus and HIV, the potential financial impact of increases to Affordable Care Act (ACA) premiums, and changes to public benefits eligibility and reductions in benefits (e.g., SNAP).

Agenda Item #2:

Presentation on Digital Health Utilization and Equity in NYC

Angela Aidala of the Community Health Advisory & Information Network (CHAIN) project and Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health presented findings on barriers to digital health resource utilization and equity among people living with HIV (PWH) in New York. The presentation explored how digital health tools, including telehealth, patient portals, health-tracking applications, and text/email communication platforms, can improve access to HIV care, self-management, care coordination, and health outcomes, while also potentially reinforcing existing inequities for populations facing social and structural barriers. A. Aidala discussed how factors such as poverty, housing instability, education level, age, race/ethnicity, behavioral health needs, and digital literacy intersect with “digital determinants of health” and impact an individual’s ability to access and effectively use digital health resources.

The presentation provided an overview of the CHAIN project methodology, describing it as an ongoing community cohort study of people living with HIV in New York City and the Tri-County region that assesses HIV health and social service systems from the perspective of consumers. Data presented during the session were drawn from 353 participant interviews conducted between November 2021 and September 2024. A. Aidala noted that the CHAIN project intentionally seeks to include voices often underrepresented in research through community-based recruitment and long-term engagement strategies.

A. Aidala reviewed key findings related to digital health utilization. Health-tracking applications (46%) and patient portals (42%) were the most used digital health tools among participants, while video telehealth utilization remained low, with only 19% reporting a video visit with an HIV provider within the previous six months. Younger participants under age 35 were significantly more likely to use digital health tools, including patient portals and health applications, while adults over age 50 reported substantially lower utilization. The presentation highlighted disparities associated with education level, poverty, behavioral health needs, and housing instability.

The presentation also focused heavily on barriers to digital health utilization. A. Aidala reported that 22% of participants lacked adequate technology or internet connectivity, 26% experienced limited digital literacy, and nearly half faced accessibility barriers related to vision, hearing, language, or educational limitations. Additional concerns included HIV disclosure stigma, information security concerns related to sharing personal information online, unstable housing situations that made provider communication difficult, and discomfort with telehealth services. Older adults and individuals with lower educational attainment consistently reported higher rates of concern across multiple categories, including privacy, technology use, and maintaining provider relationships through telehealth. Regression analyses demonstrated that age over 50, poverty, behavioral health needs, foreign-born status, criminal legal history, and HIV disclosure concerns were all associated with increased odds of experiencing digital health barriers.

In closing, A. Aidala discussed practice and policy implications for Ryan White Part A providers and HIV service systems. Recommendations included conducting routine assessments of clients’ digital readiness and technology access, expanding access to smartphones and internet connectivity, developing digital literacy initiatives through peer workers and navigators, and strengthening partnerships with community-based organizations and libraries to provide reliable technology access and support. She also emphasized the importance of addressing mistrust, privacy concerns, and accessibility challenges when designing digital health systems and encouraged providers to involve consumers in developing more user-friendly and equitable digital health tools. Committee members discussed how these findings reinforce the Integration of Care Committee’s recent efforts to incorporate guidance related to digital health tools, telehealth flexibility, and equitable service delivery into updated Ryan White Part A service directives.

Discussion & Considerations

During and following the presentation, Committee members and the presenter engaged in a robust discussion, raising key questions and considerations related to the following:

• Concerns regarding young patients transitioning from pediatric to adult care and independently managing their health care for the first time, including potential challenges related to inexperience, while also recognizing opportunities to engage younger clients in care given their familiarity and comfort with digital tools and technology.
• The importance of incorporating Community Advisory Board (CAB) feedback to help inform, optimize, and improve digital health tools and platforms from the client/user experience perspective.
• Concerns that reimbursement differences between in-person and remote visits may influence provider willingness to adopt or offer telehealth and other digital health resources.
• The value of providing IT support, peer support, and other supportive staff to assist clients with digital literacy and improve telehealth accessibility and adoption.
• Challenges related to the user-friendliness of telehealth platforms, including managing multiple passwords and logins across different provider systems; members also noted that larger hospital systems may have more sophisticated patient portals and digital infrastructure compared to smaller facilities.
• The importance of provider adoption, engagement, and buy-in related to telehealth services, including how providers present and offer telehealth options to clients.
• IOC members expressed interest in a future follow-up study exploring digital health access challenges and opportunities among the Tri-County CHAIN study cohort.

Adjournment

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.

The Next Steering Committee Meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 17th  2026

10-11:30 AM.

There being no further business, the meeting was­­ adjourned.

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