Across Florida, Georgia, and Texas, a new public health reality is emerging—one that clinicians, policymakers, and law enforcement leaders are increasingly calling a “silent epidemic.”

While national attention often focuses on opioids, a parallel crisis is unfolding: ongoing HIV transmission risk compounded by delayed access to care, fragmented systems, and emerging high-risk drug behaviors in communities.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 1.2 million people in the United States are living with HIV, with tens of thousands of new diagnoses each year—many of which could be prevented through timely intervention, including PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) and PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis).

Yet the gap is not clinical knowledge—it is access, speed, and execution.

A System Built Too Slow for a Time-Sensitive Disease

The CDC is explicit:

• PEP must be initiated within 72 hours of exposure
• PrEP is highly effective when taken consistently for high-risk individuals

Despite this, many patients still face:

• Delays in emergency departments
• Lack of provider familiarity with protocols
• Stigma or fear of seeking care
• Geographic barriers in rural or underserved regions

In states like Florida, Georgia, and Texas—where HIV prevalence remains high in certain urban and underserved populations—these delays are not just inefficiencies. They are missed prevention opportunities.

Dr. Matthew Berrios: Building a High-Velocity Model for HIV Prevention

Dr. Matthew Berrios, founder of DevotedDOc, is among a growing group of physician-executives addressing this gap through telehealth infectious disease care, with a specific focus on rapid PrEP and PEP access.

Rather than relying on traditional clinic workflows, the model is built around:

• Immediate telehealth screening
• Same-day PrEP prescribing
• Urgent PEP initiation within the CDC-recommended window
• Remote lab coordination
• Longitudinal follow-up and risk reduction counseling

“HIV prevention is not a knowledge problem—it’s an access problem,” said Dr. Berrios. “When someone needs PEP, they don’t have time to navigate a system. They need a clinician immediately, and the system needs to respond accordingly.”

This high-volume, high-velocity telehealth model is already being deployed across Florida, Texas, and Georgia, with expansion into California, including Los Angeles County, where public health data continues to show concentrated HIV risk in specific populations.

Mike Alvarez, MPA: Public Safety Meets Public Health

From a public safety perspective, Detective Mike Alvarez, MPA, emphasizes that HIV prevention is no longer confined to clinical settings.

“We’re seeing evolving drug patterns and high-risk exposures in communities that don’t traditionally engage with healthcare,” Alvarez noted. “If we’re not assessing and treating in real time, we’re missing the opportunity to stop transmission early.”

In Florida, recent legislative attention around controlled substances and emerging derivatives reflects broader concerns: new drug behaviors are intersecting with infectious disease risk in ways that are not always immediately visible to the healthcare system.

This intersection—between law enforcement insight and clinical response—is becoming critical in identifying:

• High-risk exposure environments
• Vulnerable populations
• Opportunities for early intervention

Telehealth PrEP and PEP: Closing the Gap

The expansion of telehealth PrEP and PEP treatment online is fundamentally changing how HIV prevention is delivered.

Key advantages include:

1. Rapid Access HIV Care

Patients can connect with an online PrEP doctor or infectious disease clinician within hours—not days.

2. Same-Day PrEP Prescription

Individuals at ongoing risk can initiate preventive therapy immediately, aligned with CDC recommendations.

3. Emergency PEP via Telehealth

For patients with recent exposure, post-exposure prophylaxis telehealth visits enable immediate evaluation and medication initiation, critical within the 72-hour window.

4. HIV Testing and Treatment Online

Coordinated lab testing—either local or at-home—ensures compliance with clinical guidelines without delaying care.

Who Benefits Most from This Model?

This approach is particularly impactful for:

• Individuals with recent high-risk exposure
• Communities with high HIV prevalence (urban and underserved areas)
• Patients facing stigma in traditional care settings
• Rural populations with limited infectious disease access
• Individuals re-entering the community from incarceration (subtle but critical population)

In these groups, delays are common—and preventable.

Florida, Georgia, and Texas: A Regional Inflection Point

Public health data consistently highlights Florida, Georgia, and Texas as key states where improved access to HIV prevention could have outsized impact.

• Florida (including Miami-Dade) remains a national hotspot for new HIV diagnoses
• Georgia, particularly in metropolitan areas, continues to face disparities in access
• Texas presents a mix of urban density and rural barriers

These states are now becoming focal points for telehealth infectious disease care expansion, where scalable models can be deployed rapidly.

From Fragmentation to Infrastructure

One of the most overlooked challenges in HIV prevention is not clinical—it is operational.

Protocols for PrEP and PEP exist, but:

• They are inconsistently implemented
• Often poorly understood outside specialty settings
• Rarely optimized for speed

Dr. Berrios emphasizes that the solution lies in infrastructure, not just awareness.

“We don’t need more guidelines—we need systems that execute those guidelines reliably, at scale, and without delay.”

The Future of HIV Prevention: National, Scalable, Immediate

As telehealth continues to mature, HIV prevention is emerging as one of its most critical use cases.

With ongoing expansion into:

• California (including Los Angeles County)
• Additional high-need regions
• Partnerships with community organizations and nonprofits

The focus remains consistent:

Remove barriers. Accelerate care. Prevent transmission.

About DevotedDOc

DevotedDOc is a physician-led, multi-state telehealth company focused on delivering high-quality, accessible care across infectious disease, preventive medicine, and general medical services. The organization emphasizes rapid access, clinical compliance, and scalable healthcare infrastructure designed to meet patients where they are—particularly in underserved and high-risk populations.