Radically Simple Care

(Pictured: The Telekind staff.)

By Kelsey Partridge

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, people across the globe have lost the critical care they need to prevent and treat HIV and sexually transmitted infections. Many people in rural communities lack access to convenient and affordable medical care. Luckily, a diverse group of service-minded individuals at Texas Health Action, a community-informed nonprofit, banded together to provide Texans with comprehensive sexual healthcare via a program called TeleKind. Kimberly Shappley, RN, is one nurse who started working at Texas Health Action’s Kind Clinic in Austin this March and has since transitioned to working online for TeleKind.

TeleKind is revolutionary in that it allows Texans from across the state to receive services for free. Each patient at TeleKind is assigned a care navigator, who guides them through the process of getting virtual HIV and STI testing and treatment. Shappley describes the company as being “radical in its simplicity.”

Accessible and Affordable

Services are offered free of charge regardless of insurance, including lab testing with one of THA’s partner labs or through their at-home testing kits. Care navigators also help patients access necessary prescriptions at little to no cost, regardless of their gender expression and identity, sexual orientation, race, religion, or immigration status. As long as a patient is an adult living in Texas, they are eligible to be treated by TeleKind providers.

Shappley urges all nurses in the state of Texas to share TeleKind with their patients who may be at risk for HIV and STIs. As she puts it, “When one Texan has a problem, it ripples and affects every Texan.” Shappley and her team believe that in addition to being a pioneer in the treatment and prevention of HIV and STIs, TeleKind also builds trust between marginalized communities and medical professionals.

Inclusive and Diverse

When asked her favorite part about working with TeleKind, Shappley emphasized the love she has for her team members, saying that they are all genuine and welcoming, always acting in the best interest of the patient. She adds that their team is diverse when it comes to race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, etc., making it an inclusive atmosphere for both patients and providers. “I am inspired every day by my service-minded coworkers. They contribute to my continuous learning about sex education that is comprehensive and trauma-informed.”

With such a diverse team, patients can see themselves and their identities reflected in the staff of TeleKind, and each provider with TeleKind offers gender-affirming, sex-positive care. Shappley highlights that team members at TeleKind “bring with them their own lived experiences” that help foster an understanding and comfortable relationship between patient and provider.

Shappley adds that TeleKind has adopted the philosophy “You be you and we’ll be kind.” Since sexually transmitted infections do not discriminate based on one’s identity, it is critical that health care professionals are inclusive and inviting so that those most at risk feel comfortable seeking the medical care they need.

Medical Care Anywhere

People living in rural communities often face difficulties accessing consistent, long-term medical care providers. TeleKind and its staff members alleviate this issue by providing medical care for Texas residents “anywhere a patient can take a cell phone.”

People get creative when it comes to choosing a private location,” Shappley said. “Patients have had their virtual meetings from laundromats, library parking lots, and a number of other places.” If lab testing is needed, TeleKind arranges for discreetly packaged testing kits to be delivered to the patient’s home, and the patient’s care navigator directs them through testing. Alternatively, patients can choose to visit a lab on their own.

Shappley is ecstatic about the progress made in HIV prevention and says the largest barrier now is the lack of public awareness that resources like TeleKind exist. She notes that TeleKind is doing outreach on college campuses as well as advertising on numerous digital channels such as social media and dating apps. “The biggest help is word-of-mouth.”

Word-of-mouth is an effective way to reach rural areas and underrepresented communities, and it starts critical conversations about often stigmatized topics such as sexually transmitted infections.

Resources

TeleKind
HIV and STIs in Texas