Background <p>Better understanding of how deliverers use research and select interventions can further reduce the gap between developing and delivering effective intervention and implementation strategies, especially in the field of HIV.</p> Methods <p>We interviewed a convenience sample of Midwest health organizations and health departments who are involved with HIV treatment and/or prevention services. Using an iterative, rapid qualitative analysis, we identified key steps in the process of prioritizing health needs, selecting interventions, and disseminating or receiving information about interventions.</p> Results <p>In order to prioritize areas for interventions, organizations used community assessments, developing leaderships buy-in, considered staff capacity, accessed funding, and created partnerships. Once a priority areas was developed, interventions were usually developed by the organization or adapted from pre-existing interventions to meet local needs. Organizations preferred to receive information from trusted broker agencies or from peer organizations. There was a strong desire to evaluate and share results from home-grown interventions but evaluation capacity and funding were limiting factors.</p> Conclusions <p>There are several ways to improve dissemination and knowledge sharing between researchers and practitioners. Researchers can design flexible and adaptable interventions, with a range of dissemination materials available to broker agencies. Deliverers can partner with researchers for evaluation, while funders can specifically support evaluation and dissemination, including peer-to-peer learning.</p>