In a report released in May 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recognized the state of Iowa for having one of the highest percentages of HIV viral suppression in the country, which allows people living with HIV to reach their best health outcomes. People who sustain an undetectable viral load for at least six months also can not transmit HIV to their partners, a model known as Undetectable = Untransmittable, or U=U.

In the report, national trends show that states average 65.9% of their populations of people living with HIV achieve viral suppression, whereas Iowa reaches significantly beyond the average at 81.7%. Only one other state in the country has reached 80%, pushing Iowa to the forefront of effective HIV patient care.

The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Center for Acute Diseases Epidemiology writes of the report, “This is a great achievement for the state, and reflects a number of factors, including . . . consistent leadership over many years at the state and local levels.”

One of these leaders is Jack Stapleton, MD, professor in Infectious Diseases and of Microbiology and Immunology, and director of the HIV/AIDS Clinic at University of Iowa Health Care, which is now finishing its 35th year.

Read Stapleton’s reflections on the clinic in its 28th year.

Stapleton credits “the great team we have in our clinic” for the superlative national results. “Our staff – including physicians, physician assistants, social workers, nurses, data managers, and more – provide patient-focused care, which earns patient trust. Thanks to our grants, we can additionally provide a variety of support resources to assist with the medical care of these people living with HIV infection.”

He also credits the “great funding” received through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Legislation, or the Ryan White Program. The Ryan White Program is the third largest source of federal funding for HIV care in the country after Medicare and Medicaid. Stapleton noted that three other clinics in Iowa also receive funding from the program.

Stapleton and the department’s members of the Ryan White Team were recognized with the Rick Graf Award for their dedication to researching and providing social support for HIV and AIDS patients. Read about it here.

The Virology Clinic at University of Iowa Health Care is the largest HIV/AIDS clinic in the state, and offers a multidisciplinary approach to patient care, utilizing funds from the state-level program. This approach includes specialty pharmacists, psychiatry and social services, satellite health clinics, and housing services to comprehensively offer people living with HIV the highest rate of preferred outcomes in the state of Iowa.