HHS Awards $95.6 Million for Community-Based HIV/AIDS Care
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt has announced $95.6 million in grants to support community-based organizations that provide early intervention HIV/AIDS care and services to medically underserved populations.
Early Intervention Services (EIS) grants are being awarded to 176 community-based health centers, migrant health centers, hospitals, and other entities that provide outpatient HIV early intervention services and ambulatory care. These grants support clinical care; antiretroviral therapies; and ongoing medical, oral health, nutritional, psychosocial, and other treatment for HIV-positive individuals. Funds also support medical evaluation, risk-reduction counseling and case management.
The competitive grants to local HIV/AIDS service providers are in addition to the formula funds that were sent to states, territories, and hard-hit urban areas earlier in the year. According to Secretary Leavitt, the reauthorized Ryan White program will do a better job of targeting care and services to underserved communities where HIV infection is on the rise.
The EIS grants are awarded under Part C of Title XXVI of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act, as amended by the newly enacted Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act of 2006. Part C of Title XXVI of the PHS Act was previously referred to as Title III of the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act, the predecessor statute.
The new law requires that Part C grantees spend 50 percent of their grant award on EIS, and 75 percent on newly-defined core medical services.
Additional Part C grants are expected to be announced July 1.
HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration administers the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, which provides life-saving care and services to more than 530,000 individuals every year.
