PrEP and PEP for Rural Health Care Providers

Webinar Information:

Live Session: November 12, 2021 at 10am PST. Recording to follow.


Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) a virus that attacks the body’s immune system; and if left untreated, can lead to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS); in 2019 the Center for disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated almost 1.2 million individuals in the United States had HIV.  Between 2015 to 2019 the annual number of diagnosis has decreased 9%; while there have been great strides in decreasing numbers of new cases since the CDC’s September 24, 1982 release of the term AIDS and first case definition was implemented.

Two important tools which have found to be effective prevention options, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) can protect your patients at risk for HIV and improve health outcomes.

This webinar will host four presenters’, each providing a different perspective and expertise in their area of care.  James Foley, will provide us a look through the lens of a PrEP navigator and will discuss and address common issues and concerns faced by patients and providers and ways that peers and navigators can assist the process. Dr. Leana Ramirez, will address common questions that she, as a pharmacist, has addressed in the provision of PrEP/PEP from providers and clients as well as provide recommendations for rural providers and pharmacists for the provision of PreP/PEP. Rob Phoenix will provide an overview of PrEP/PEP, the medications that are prescribed for PrEP/PEP, common questions and concerns by clients/providers, as well as recommendations for providers who may be new to prescribing PrEP/PEP.

Hedda will discuss the HIV services provided by her clinic, specifically highlighting PrEP/PEP services and recommendations for providing these services to fellow rural health providers, highlighting how they have achieved a 2888.89% increase in people on PrEP medication since March 2021.


Public Health Perspectives is a free online webinar series designed to showcase programs impacting public health. PHP discusses program design, lessons learned, and creative solutions with public health professionals around the nation. Each PHP webinar takes approximately 1-hour to complete. 

PHP Webinars are hosted live on the second Friday of each month at 10am PST.  

To join the live session, please enroll in the course before 10am PST on the day of the webinar. All PHP sessions are recorded. If you enroll after the live webinar session has ended, the course will contain a video recording of the live session you can watch instead. Please note, it may take up to one month for the recording to become available.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the webinar, participants will be able to:

  1. Describe the medications used to prescribe Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) for HIV.
  2. Better understand some of the challenges and innovations for expanding PrEP/PEP in rural areas.
  3. Describe the process of overcoming the barriers to providing PrEP/PEP in rural communities.

Target Audience:

  • Public health professionals
  • Community members 
  • Students

Duration: ~ 1 hour 

Continuing Education: N/A

Speakers': James Foley, Disease Data Collection Specialist II/PrEP Navigator , Southern Nevada Health District Office of Disease Surveillance, Leana Ramirez, PharmD, AAHIVP, CSP, John (Rob) Phoenix, APRN, FNP-C, Hedda Fay, Community Outreach and Program Manager, Northland Cares.


About the Speaker


James Foley is a community health advocate and educator in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he has lived and worked for over 33 years. His various roles in the community have included PrEP Navigator at Southern Nevada Health District,  Health Educator at Community Outreach Medical Center, Medical Case management for ActionRED, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of disenfranchised individuals living with HIV/AIDS; and serving as an Education Coordinator at Aid for AIDS of Nevada (AFAN), the state's largest and oldest HIV/AIDS service organization. He is passionate about increasing awareness of HIV/AIDS, teaching safer sex practices and encouraging healthy relationships. His work and activism are rooted in the promotion of compassion, open communication, and dignity and respect for all individuals.

Leana Ramirez, PharmD, AAHIVP, CSP is a long-time champion of HIV Prevention and Care in Southern Nevada through her work as a pharmacist with specialty pharmacies in Southern Nevada and through collaboration with various other community organizations. Leana serves as the community co-chair with the Southern Nevada HIV Prevention Planning Group and was the first pharmacist to develop a collaborative practice agreement which allows pharmacists to dispense PrEP in the state of Nevada.  Leana continues to advise the State agencies on PrEP and best practices and volunteers her time for PrEP education and training.

Rob Phoenix, is a family nurse practitioner in Las Vegas, NV where he owns and operates the largest LGBTQ focused medical clinic in Southern Nevada. Rob focuses his practice on HIV prevention, HIV treatment, Transgender health care, and providing primary care.  Rob is the predominate provider of Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) care in Southern Nevada.  The clinic is the largest provider of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Prevention (PrEP) in Southern Nevada. Rob was recently selected to represent Nevada as the Ambassador to the CDC Act Against AIDS campaign. Rob was recently selected as the Southern Nevada Health District 2018 Pubic Health Hero. Huntridge Family Clinic, a non-profit organization focused on providing health care to the LGBTQ and Allies community in Las Vegas.

Hedda Fay is Community Outreach and Program Manager with Northland Cares, an HIV Specialty Care Clinic serving Northern AZ (Prescott and Cottonwood). She is an LCNA, Paralegal and Certified Aromatherapist. She has worked in HIV since 2018 and is passionate about harm reduction and prevention services. Northland Cares not only offers PrEP and PEP Navigation services, offer At-Home full panel STI testing and STI treatment for people living in Yavapai County. Northland Cares currently provide PrEP Navigation to people living throughout Arizona, having partnered with a PrEP telemedicine provider.

Course Content

  1. 01

    • Download Calendar Reminder

    • PHP Webinar Welcome

    • Demographic Survey

    • Webinar Description and Presenter Bios

    • Webinar Replay

    • Course Evaluation

    • Save the Date for Next Month's PHP

This webinar is sponsored by: