The Importance of Routinely Screening for HIV, STIs, Viral Hepatitis & LTBI

Join Jesse Ehrenfeld, MD, MPH, President of the American Medical Association (AMA), and Jonathan Mermin, MD, MPH, Director of CDC's National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP) and a retired two-star Rear Admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service, as they discuss a new toolkit from the AMA to help community health centers and emergency departments routinely screen for these infectious diseases. Routine screening for and early detection of HIV, STIs, viral hepatitis and latent TB infection are critical for the health of our communities as these infections can have an asymptomatic stage which may prevent individuals from seeking the testing needed. Routinely screening for these infectious diseases can effectively identify these infections creating opportunities for treatment and prevention. The AMA’s HIV, STIs, Viral Hepatitis and LTBI Routine Screening Toolkit is specifically designed to help clinicians in community health centers and emergency departments overcome barriers and integrate screening into routine patient care. During this live session, the first in the series, Dr. Ehrenfeld and Dr. Mermin will give an overview of the toolkit and its importance, then explore how the toolkit supports community health centers and emergency departments in two focus areas: implementing opt-out screening and providing care team training.

Jonathan Mermin, MD, MPH

Jonathan Mermin, MD, MPH, is the Director of the National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP), and a retired two-star Rear Admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service. He leads the nation’s efforts to prevent HIV, viral hepatitis, sexually transmitted diseases, and tuberculosis. These infections affect millions of Americans and cause tens of thousands of deaths each year. NCHHSTP focuses on high impact prevention strategies that are cost-effective, scalable, and grounded in the latest research. These strategies save lives, save money, reduce health disparities, and protect the health of all Americans. Dr. Mermin served as the Incident Manager for CDC’s mpox response for six months, where he led the agency’s efforts to bring accurate information, testing, vaccination, and treatment to communities affected by mpox, and worked to decrease health inequities associated with the virus. In 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he served for several months as Acting Director of the Center for Preparedness and Response. From 2009-2013, Dr. Mermin directed CDC’s Division of HIV Prevention, during which time HIV incidence decreased in the United States, due in part to CDC focusing on more effective interventions and distributing resources based on HIV epidemiology. He previously served as Director of CDC-Kenya and HHS Public Health Attaché for the U.S. Embassy from 2006-2009, and as Director of CDC-Uganda from 1999-2006. In Uganda, he oversaw implementation of the first antiretroviral treatment program funded by CDC outside of the United States. Dr. Mermin began his career at CDC in 1995 as an EIS officer with the Foodborne and Diarrheal Diseases Branch. He completed an internal medicine residency at San Francisco General Hospital and a preventive medicine residency at CDC and the California Department of Health Services. He is a graduate of Harvard College and Stanford University School of Medicine and received his MPH from Emory University. He has co-authored more than 200 scientific articles. He currently serves as an Adjunct Professor at Emory University School of Public Health.

Jesse Ehrenfeld, MD, MPH

Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, MD, MPH, was inaugurated as president of the American Medical Association in June 2023. He is a senior associate dean, tenured professor of anesthesiology and director of the “Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment” at the Medical College of Wisconsin. He was elected to the American Medical Association Board of Trustees in 2014. Dr. Ehrenfeld divides his time among clinical practice, teaching, research and directing a $560-million statewide health philanthropy. He also has an appointment as an adjunct professor of anesthesiology and health policy at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., and as an adjunct professor of surgery at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md. Dr. Ehrenfeld is a consultant to the World Health Organization Digital Health Technical Advisory Group and previously served as co-chair of the Navy Surgeon General’s Taskforce on Personalized and Digital Medicine and as a special advisor to the 20th U.S. Surgeon General.

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