Department of Health

Glossary

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AIDS Center

Designated AIDS Centers (DACs) are state-certified, hospital-based programs that serve as the hubs for a continuum of hospital and community-based care for persons with HIV infection and AIDS. The Centers provide state-of-the-art, multi-disciplinary inpatient and outpatient care coordinated through hospital-based case management. DACs with pediatric and obstetrical departments also provide specialized HIV care to infants, children, and pregnant women.

HIV-specific care standards developed for DACs are intended to ensure uniformly high quality care for HIV patients. DACs usually have a dedicated team and are required to provide or arrange for: specialized inpatient units and/or scattered beds; coordinated outpatient services; 24-hour emergency room coverage; long-term care, as necessary; counseling, testing, and education in the community; and comprehensive inpatient and outpatient case management services. DACs must establish infection control policies, make arrangements for patients' personal or home care as required, and arrange for patients to participate in clinical trials. The quality of care is monitored and evaluated by the AIDS Intervention Management System (AIMS). Each DAC is required to have an active quality program, including a broadly inclusive quality improvement committee to implement targeted strategies to improve patient care.

See also: About the AIDS Institute

See all NY State designated AIDS Centers.