jus« o u t V aprii 7. 1 0 0 5 ▼ 13
local news
dvocates and service providers for
people with HIV and AIDS in the
Portland metro area are pleased. They
will receive nearly all of the $1.5
million in supplementary 1995 Ryan
White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emer
gency Title I grants they requested to help provide
HIV/AIDS health and social services.
“We’re delighted. I believe this happened thanks
to the committed work of local and state health
officials, members of the HIV and local communi
ties, and a whole assortment of people who wanted
to ensure we had the resources to provide these
critical services,” says Jim Clay, the newly ap
pointed executive director of the Portland area
HIV Services Planning Council, Ryan White CARE
Act, Title I.
The council, which represents five Oregon
counties— Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington,
Columbia and Yamhill—as well as neighboring
Clark County in Washington, was established fol
lowing the 1990 passage of the Ryan White CARE
Act, the first comprehensive federal program to
provide substantial support to people with HIV/
AIDS.
The act is divided into four titles that grant
federal funds to states, cities and community-
based organizations. The purpose of Title I is to
provide emergency assistance to areas that have
been disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS.
Title I grants are awarded to the chief elected
official of the city or urban county (in this case,
Multnomah County Commission Chair Beverly
Stein) that provides outpatient and ambulatory
public health services to the most people with HI V/
AIDS. This official in turn appoints a planning
council to conduct needs assessments, allocate
funds, and establish services. Council members
must include representatives of health care, social
and mental health service professionals, people
with HIV, community leaders, and state govern
mental officials. Planning councils are designed to
assure local community input in creating a con
tinuum of care services in their community.
“We probably spent close to a year conducting
this needs assessment,” says Rudy Vasquez, co
chair of the Portland area HIV Planning Council,
Title I. “We conducted several focus groups and
met with all different facets of the community—
people of color, women, service providers. We
really wanted to get a sense of their needs.”
This past December, the Portland metropolitan
area received $986,510 in Ryan White CARE Act
formula grants, which are awarded noncompeti-
tively to metropolitan areas reporting 2,000 or
more cumulative cases of AIDS. Sixteen cities
qualified for grants in 1991; that number has in
creased this year to 42 (including the Portland
area) due to rapidly growing caseloads.
Last month, federal Health and Human Ser
vices Secretary Donna Shalala announced the allo
cation of an additional $174.7 million in supple
mental 1995 Ryan White CARE Act grants to help
A
Local officials
delighted
well as the dollar amount requested. Topping the
list, which is prioritized, is housing assistance,
followed by health insurance continuation, case
management, medical care, and day or respite care.
Other priority categories include funding for food
banks and home-delivered meals for people with
HIV and AIDS, transportation, drug reimburse
ment, client advocacy, and buddy/companion ser
Nearly all the Ryan White CARE Act funds requested
vices.
to provide HIV/AIDS services in Multnomah County
"The fact that we got nearly all of what we
requested seems like a real vote of confidence for
are granted
the work we’ve been doing,” says Clay. “ 1 think it
indicates that the city, county, state and local
communities
have been really effective in working
by Inga Sorensen
together.”
Says Vasquez, “We worked very closely with
[various governmental entities] to make sure we’re
not duplicating services and wasting resources.”
According to Clay, the county recently re
ceived “written and official” notice of the HRSA
grant award and has sent out a request for proposals
from community-based organizations and agen
cies seeking to provide the services outlined by the
council and county.
Vasquez says the funds could be disbursed to
selected service providers as early as May 1.
Commitment to federal funding for HI V/A1DS
was tested a few weeks ago when U.S. House
members threatened to slash $13 million in 1995
Ryan White CARE Act funds and $23 million for
prevention programs at the Centers for Disease
Control. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.)joined forces
with Rep. Nancy Pelosi, a San Francisco Demo-
| crat, to push two amendments that restored those
| cuts. The amendments were adopted by the House
g Appropriations Committee during an eight-hour
5 marathon session of the committee. All committee
Democrats and 13 Republicans voted in favor of
the amendments, giving Pelosi and Murray a 37-18
margin of victory.
Jim Clay
“I have seen the devastating effects of this
and
Services
Administration,
which
administers
epidemic,”
says the 44-ycar-old Murray. “AIDS is
urban areas deal with the growing costs of care for
the Ryan White CARE Act funds, adds: “The
the leading cause of death of Americans in my age
uninsured or underinsured men, women and chil
grants
expand
the
number
and
variety
of
ambula
group.
That is sobering and scary. How many Cal
dren with AIDS. The supplemental grants are
tory medical services
Andersons and Greg Louganises will it take before
awarded competitively
and
help
reduce
inap
we get serious?”
based on evidence of
“The
Ryan
White
CARE
Act
propriate use of more
Congress will decide perhaps by late spring
the unmet needs of each
costly
in-patient
and
whether to reauthorize the Ryan White CARE Act,
area’s residents living
represents the largest
emergency-room ser
which expires Sept. 30.
with HIV.
governmental
dollar
investment
“There is a large discussion in Congress about
vices.”
“The Ryan White
Based on findings
this right now and there seems to be strong bipar
for the care o f people with HIV
CARE Act represents
of an exhaustive needs
tisan support for the need to continue providing
the largest governmen
infection and AIDS.
assessment by the area
resources for HIV/AIDS services,” says Clay.
tal dollar investment
These
grants
ease
suffering
and
planning council, the
“There is, however, some debate as to whether that
for the care of people
M
ultnomah
County
should
be done through the Ryan White CARE Act
with HIV infection and
prolong the life o f thousands of
Health Department, in
or through a block grant to the state.”
AIDS. These grants
Americans ; ”
conjunction with the
He adds: “I definitely would like to sec Ryan
ease suffering and pro
council, applied for
White refunded because an infrastructure is al
long the life of thou
$1.5 million in supplemental funds and was ulti
ready in place and it works well. If we switched to
sands of Americans,” says Dr. Philip Lee, HHS
block grant funding, or any new system, it would
mately granted $1,416,224.
assistant secretary for health and director of the
Among the materials submitted by local offi
require creating a whole new infrastructure. That
Public Health Service. (Title I receives by far the
cials to HRSA is a chart detailing 17 service
would only waste precious time and money.”
largest portion of funding of the act’s four titles.)
categories they plan to provide and/or expand, as
Ciro Sumaya of the federal Health Resources
E xperience the E xtra
ordinary R enaissance
I n C arpetmaking .
A new generation o f authentic
vegetable dyed Turkish rugs has reached
remarkable heights in decorative appeal.
Com e and enjoy James O p ie’s exclusive
selection available now.
TWENTY-THIRD AVENUE
BOOKS
1015 NW 2 3rd Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97210, (503) 224-5097
ORIENTAI RI <IS INCORPORATED
2 1 4 S.W . Stark P o rtlan d , O R 9 7 2 0 4
For an Appointment, Call 226-0116
Monday-Friday 9 :3 0 - 8 pm □ Saturday 10 am - 8 pm □ Sunday 11 am - 4 pm