HHS Announces 45 Ryan White CARE Act Grants To Serve Low-Income HIV-Positive Individuals
HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson on Tuesday announced 45 Ryan White CARE Act grants totaling $23 million to help communities provide primary care and outpatient services to low-income individuals who are HIV-positive or who are at risk for contracting the virus, according to an HHS release. The grants, awarded under the Title III Early Intervention Services program of the CARE Act, will go to hospitals, medical centers, community-based clinics, public health departments and universities in 22 states and the District of Columbia to provide counseling, testing and referral, medical evaluation, clinical care, oral health care, adherence counseling, nutritional counseling, outpatient mental health care, outpatient substance abuse care and referral for specialty and subspecialty care. The grants target the "communities that need it most," such as inner cities and remote, rural areas, according to the release. "These grants help community-based organizations reach out to those who may be HIV-positive but don't know it, and get them into care," Thompson said, adding, "Early and continuous care can help these individuals live longer, more productive lives." Since fiscal year 1991, when the CARE Act was first funded, almost $13.7 billion has been allocated for programs that have served approximately 530,000 uninsured HIV-positive individuals (HHS release, 7/1).
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