Minnesota's Midwest AIDS Training and Education Center: helping health care providers remain current on a rapidly changing epidemic.

Since 1990, the number of people in Minnesota living with HIV/AIDS has been steadily increasing. The demographics of who is infected with HIV have changed, with more women and people of color being diagnosed. In addition, with new therapies and continually updated treatment recommendations, the information needed to provide quality medical care to HIV-infected patients is constantly evolving. Thus, providers who care for patients with HIV/AIDS need ongoing education about the disease. The Midwest AIDS Training and Education Center (MATEC) is a federally funded program that helps health care providers stay abreast of HIV clinical care and management knowledge. Based at the University of Illinois at Chicago, MATEC provides services in seven states, including Minnesota. This article describes how MATEC's HIV/AIDS training and education programs are being implemented in Minnesota and the different ways MATEC is delivering provider education in this important area.