Research to Reality: Evidence-Based Programs in Action
Research to Reality: Evidence-Based Programs in Action
We believe everyone deserves high-quality care and services, regardless of background. Equity drives our programs, advocacy, research, and training. Our team addresses complex public health challenges in Rhode Island and beyond, building trust and achieving significant impacts for the diverse communities we serve.
Rooted in Research
As leading experts, we dive headfirst into the toughest public health challenges every day. We deliver crucial services to Rhode Island’s most vulnerable communities, building trust and support along the way. But we don’t stop there—we’re on a mission to transform the places where people live, work, and thrive. Our initiatives stretch across Rhode Island and beyond, driven by a bold vision to create a healthier, more equitable world for all.
Data to Impact: Research and Publication Highlights
Early adopters of doxycycline as post-exposure prophylaxis to prevent bacterial sexually transmitted infections in a real-world clinical setting
Chan, Nunn et al., 2024
This article highlights the Impacts of DoxyPEP at Open Door Health. DoxyPEP, also known as the “morning after pill” is a new strategy for preventing bacterial sexually transmitted infections like syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea. Open Door Health was one of the first clinics in the country to adopt DoxyPEP. Open Door Health also has standing orders for DoxyPEP and our nurses are trained to provide it to patients. This has allowed us to scale this activity to all persons who need it, including for people who walk in without appointments.
Published Work Highlights
Retaining African American Men in PrEP care in the Journal of AIDS
This article has been endorsed by the CDC as one of few interventions proven to improve retention in HIV prevention services. This article also informed a three site clinical trial that is ongoing at Open Door Health in Providence, RI, Whitman Walker in Washington DC; and the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
A randomized trial of a brief behavioral intervention for PrEP uptake among men who have sex with men at increased risk for HIV infection
This article was also endorsed as an evidence-based intervention by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to improve PrEP uptake for HIV prevention. This is one of few interventions proven to enhance PrEP uptake for men who have sex with men.
American Journal of Public Health: The Case for a National SNAP incentive program
In this article, Dr. Nunn and colleagues advocate for a national program for SNAP incentives. SNAP incentives provide financial incentives for people to purchase or buy fruits and vegetables with SNAP benefits. This article attracted widespread interest and informed RIPHI’s statewide SNAP incentive program developed in partnership with the Rhode Island Department of Human services, Walmart and Stop and Shop.
Health Affairs: Estimating The Impact Of Out-Of-Pocket Cost Changes On Abandonment Of HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis.
This article builds on Dr. Nunn and Dr. Chan’s decade of research about retaining PrEP patients in HIV prevention services. This article finds that many patients will likely abandon their PrEP prescriptions when they experience small copayments and deductibles. This article has attracted widespread policy attention.
Journal of General Internal Medicine: Results from a Geographically Focused, Community-Based HCV Screening, Linkage-to-Care and Patient Navigation Program
This article found that curing patients with hepatitis C with active drug use is possible and that patient navigation dramatically improves Hepatitis C cure rates. This was one of the first articles to explore this topic in detail and has been widely cited as a model. This article also informed patient navigation programs at Open Door Health and elsewhere.
American Journal of Public Health: Geography should not be destiny: focusing HIV/AIDS implementation research and programs on microepidemics in US neighborhoods
This article found that the greatest predictor of whether someone lives or passes away from HIV/AIDS is where they live, and their race. This important article informed development of the US’ first National HIV/AIDS Strategy, and subsequently, the US Plan to End the Epidemic, which redirected resources towards communities who need them most.
Sexually Transmitted Infections Treatment Guidelines, 2021
Dr. Philip Chan, our CMO, serves as a consultant to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). He coauthored the national guidelines for STI treatment, which guides care and prevention for sexually transmitted infections in the United States.
CDC Clinical Guidelines on the Use of Doxycycline Postexposure Prophylaxis for Bacterial Sexually Transmitted Infection Prevention, United States, 2024
Dr. Philip Chan, our CMO, serves as a consultant to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). He coauthored the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which guide clinical care for doxycycline as post-exposure prophylaxis for prevention of sexually transmitted infections in the United States.
AIDS: Defining the HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis care continuum
This article, written by Dr. Nunn and Dr. Chan and published in 2017, helped define new frameworks for HIV prevention. This article has been widely cited in the field and utilized by scholars and practitioners to evaluate progress in scaling PrEP to people who need it nationwide.
Public Health Reports: Routine HIV Screening in an Urban Community Health Center: Results from a Geographically Focused Implementation Science Program
This implementation science article explores how a federally qualified health center implemented routine, opt-out HIV screening. This took place in a Philadelphia neighborhood with 4% HIV seroprevalence and was a highly impactful way to expand HIV screening to people who need it most. This article informed the National AIDS strategy and demonstrated that geographically oriented approaches to HIV prevention can be highly impactful for reducing racial disparities in access to HIV services.
Research Studies Happening Now!
Join us on a journey to transform health in Rhode Island! We are conducting several innovative research studies and need your help to make a difference. Your participation is vital in advancing public health and creating lasting improvements in our community. By enrolling in our studies, you become a key player in groundbreaking research that tackles urgent health issues and paves the way for a healthier tomorrow.
Get Involved
Together, we can build stronger, healthier communities. You can donate to fuel community health work, volunteer your time, or lend your voice to a cause that matters to you.
Donate
Job Opportunities
Training & Learning
Community Involvement
Advocacy
Innovation
VolunteerDonateDonate
When you support the Rhode Island Public Health Institute, you’re helping create a ripple effect that transforms lives in the neighborhoods where we work, live, and play. Your generosity helps deliver fresh produce to those who need it most, makes healthy food affordable, provides health care for vulnerable Rhode Islanders, supports the LGBTQ+ community, fuels cutting-edge research, and trains tomorrow’s public health leaders. Join us in making a lasting impact!
Job OpportunitiesJob Opportunities
Looking for a meaningful career? The Rhode Island Public Health Institute offers exciting job opportunities where you can be part of a team that makes a real difference in community health. Join our team to work on impactful projects, collaborate with experts, and help shape a healthier future. Explore our open positions today!
Training & LearningTraining & Learning
RIPHI’s hands-on training programs have empowered over 500 healthcare professionals with the skills needed to address today’s most pressing public health challenges. We provide practical, immersive training for physicians, nurses, and public health students. By focusing on training students from the health professions in real-world clinical and community settings, we ensure the next generation of clinicians and public health leaders are equipped to lead with expertise and empathy.
Community InvolvementCommunity Involvement
RIPHI proudly serves tens of thousands of individuals in Rhode Island, addressing crucial public health needs through many diverse service programs. Our Food on the Move program combats food insecurity with a 50% discount on produce for SNAP recipients, improving access to fresh food in underserved areas. The Eat Well Be Well program provides a similar discount to 140,000 SNAP recipients who shop in grocery stores statewide. Open Door Health, Rhode Island’s only LGBTQ+ clinic, provides essential care to 9,000 patients, including many LGBTQ+ persons, Hispanic populations, other people of color and many others who share our commitment to social justice.
AdvocacyAdvocacy
Our advocacy efforts have led to transformative policy changes in Rhode Island and beyond. Notably, our Nourish RI campaign secured $11.5 million for a statewide SNAP incentive program, benefiting 140,000 Rhode Islanders who use SNAP. We also played a pivotal role in enhancing HIV prevention and treatment policies, including the recent law mandating insurance coverage for HIV prevention medications, with no copayments and no deductibles. We’ve also provided the scientific evidence base for HIV prevention and care programs involving Black clergy in the Deep South, and that work, along with our HIV prevention and care services in Rhode Island, has informed national HIV policy.
InnovationInnovation
With over $20 million in research funding, RIPHI’s research and service work related to food insecurity, HIV prevention and care, behavioral health, active living, and the COVID-19 response has shaped health policies and practices. Our research continues to drive progress in mental health, addiction treatment, and culturally tailored medical services. These innovations have buttressed our deep commitments to advancing health equity with innovative solutions to the nation’s most pressing public health challenges.
VolunteerVolunteer
Join us in making a real difference! At the Rhode Island Public Health Institute, we believe that creating healthier communities starts with passionate individuals like you. Whether it’s supporting our innovative health programs, helping at community events, or advocating for change, your time and energy can transform lives. Together, we can erase health disparities, uplift our neighbors, and build a healthier Rhode Island.
DonateJob OpportunitiesTraining & LearningCommunity InvolvementAdvocacyInnovationVolunteerDonateDonate
When you support the Rhode Island Public Health Institute, you’re helping create a ripple effect that transforms lives in the neighborhoods where we work, live, and play. Your generosity helps deliver fresh produce to those who need it most, makes healthy food affordable, provides health care for vulnerable Rhode Islanders, supports the LGBTQ+ community, fuels cutting-edge research, and trains tomorrow’s public health leaders. Join us in making a lasting impact!
Job OpportunitiesJob Opportunities
Looking for a meaningful career? The Rhode Island Public Health Institute offers exciting job opportunities where you can be part of a team that makes a real difference in community health. Join our team to work on impactful projects, collaborate with experts, and help shape a healthier future. Explore our open positions today!
Training & LearningTraining & Learning
RIPHI’s hands-on training programs have empowered over 500 healthcare professionals with the skills needed to address today’s most pressing public health challenges. We provide practical, immersive training for physicians, nurses, and public health students. By focusing on training students from the health professions in real-world clinical and community settings, we ensure the next generation of clinicians and public health leaders are equipped to lead with expertise and empathy.
Community InvolvementCommunity Involvement
RIPHI proudly serves tens of thousands of individuals in Rhode Island, addressing crucial public health needs through many diverse service programs. Our Food on the Move program combats food insecurity with a 50% discount on produce for SNAP recipients, improving access to fresh food in underserved areas. The Eat Well Be Well program provides a similar discount to 140,000 SNAP recipients who shop in grocery stores statewide. Open Door Health, Rhode Island’s only LGBTQ+ clinic, provides essential care to 9,000 patients, including many LGBTQ+ persons, Hispanic populations, other people of color and many others who share our commitment to social justice.
AdvocacyAdvocacy
Our advocacy efforts have led to transformative policy changes in Rhode Island and beyond. Notably, our Nourish RI campaign secured $11.5 million for a statewide SNAP incentive program, benefiting 140,000 Rhode Islanders who use SNAP. We also played a pivotal role in enhancing HIV prevention and treatment policies, including the recent law mandating insurance coverage for HIV prevention medications, with no copayments and no deductibles. We’ve also provided the scientific evidence base for HIV prevention and care programs involving Black clergy in the Deep South, and that work, along with our HIV prevention and care services in Rhode Island, has informed national HIV policy.
InnovationInnovation
With over $20 million in research funding, RIPHI’s research and service work related to food insecurity, HIV prevention and care, behavioral health, active living, and the COVID-19 response has shaped health policies and practices. Our research continues to drive progress in mental health, addiction treatment, and culturally tailored medical services. These innovations have buttressed our deep commitments to advancing health equity with innovative solutions to the nation’s most pressing public health challenges.
VolunteerVolunteer
Join us in making a real difference! At the Rhode Island Public Health Institute, we believe that creating healthier communities starts with passionate individuals like you. Whether it’s supporting our innovative health programs, helping at community events, or advocating for change, your time and energy can transform lives. Together, we can erase health disparities, uplift our neighbors, and build a healthier Rhode Island.