MaineHealth is helping shape a new national effort to improve HIV outcomes among people who are unsheltered—one of the most medically marginalized populations in the United States, according to MaineHealth, in a news release.

Six MaineHealth leaders have been selected to serve on a national Advisory Council for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) HIV/AIDS Bureau’s Street Medicine Interventions for People with HIV Who Are Unsheltered Initiative. Alex S. Keuroghlian, MD, MSc, MPH, Chief, MaineHealth Behavioral Health; Chair, Department of Psychiatry, MaineHealth serves as the principal investigator of the initiative’s Capacity Building Provider award, for which The Fenway Institute in Boston is the primary recipient organization. 

The four-year project is funded through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program and runs through July 2029. 

Along with Principal Investigator Dr. Keuroghlian, additional MaineHealth representatives on the Advisory Council include Stephen Rawlings, MD; Kinna Thakarar, DO; Adam Normandin, MD; Malia Haddock, PMHNP, and Tobias Nicholson, MD. Also serving on the Advisory Council is Courtney Plasden, Medical Director at MaineCare. Over the next four years, members will advise on implementation strategies, review program models, and help guide national dissemination efforts. 

The initiative focuses on developing and evaluating street-based models of care that connect people with HIV who are unsheltered—or not consistently engaged in care—with lifesaving treatment. People with HIV who experience unstable housing have significantly lower rates of viral suppression than those in stable housing. 

“Street medicine programs—care delivered directly in encampments, on the street and in other nontraditional settings—have emerged as a critical strategy for reaching people who cannot reliably access brick-and-mortar services,” said Dr. Keuroghlian. 

Demonstration sites—nine organizations across the U.S.—began the pre‑implementation phase in late 2025 and will proceed with client enrollment, intervention testing, and evaluation over the next several years.

"MaineHealth’s leadership participation places the system at the center of national conversations about closing gaps in HIV care for people who are unsheltered," said the news release. "The work aligns with MaineHealth’s commitment to improving access to care for marginalized populations and advancing evidence-based HIV and behavioral health services."

To learn more, visit Street Medicine Interventions for People with HIV who are Unsheltered - Fenway Health

MaineHealth is a not-for-profit, integrated health system whose vision is, “Working together so our communities are the healthiest in America,” and is committed to a mission of providing high-quality affordable care, educating tomorrow's caregivers and researching better ways to provide care. MaineHealth includes a Level 1 trauma medical center, eight additional licensed hospitals, comprehensive pediatric care services, an extensive behavioral health care network, diagnostic services as well as home health, hospice and senior care services. With more than 2,000 employed providers and approximately 23,000 care team members, MaineHealth provides preventive care, diagnosis and treatment to 1.1 million residents in Maine and New Hampshire. MaineHealth hospitals include MaineHealth Behavioral Health at Spring Harbor in Westbrook, MaineHealth Franklin Hospital in Farmington, MaineHealth Lincoln Hospital in Damariscotta, MaineHealth Maine Medical Center in Portland, Biddeford and Sanford, MaineHealth Memorial Hospital in North Conway, N.H., MaineHealth Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick, MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital in Rockport, MaineHealth Stephens Hospital in Norway and MaineHealth Waldo Hospital in Belfast. MaineHealth also includes MaineHealth Barbara Bush Children’s, MaineHealth Behavioral Health in Westbrook, MaineHealth Home Health and Hospice in Saco, the MaineHealth Institute for Research in Scarborough, the MaineHealth Medical Group and MaineHealth NorDx in Scarborough. MaineHealth affiliates include MaineGeneral Health in Augusta and Waterville and St. Mary's Health System in Lewiston. It is also a significant stakeholder in the MaineHealth Accountable Care Organization in Portland and a joint venture partner in the New England Rehabilitation Hospital in Portland.