The University of Virginia's Infectious Diseases Clinic responsible for treating HIV and AIDS victims from 52 surrounding counties in western Virginia will not receive its annual $426,000 federal grant this year.
For the fiscal year of 2005, the grant will instead help fund a continuing HIV health care program under Centra Health, Inc. based in Lynchburg, Va.
This is the first year the Lynchburg-based health care provider applied for the Early Intervention Services grant, one of three Title III Ryan White Grants.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Web site, the Title III Early Intervention Services grant program "funds comprehensive primary health care for individuals living with HIV."
Centra Health, in partnership with Medical Associates of Central Virginia, also in Lynchburg, will use the grant to expand outreach counseling, testing and ongoing nutrition and dental care.
"It will provide funding for physicians and enable us to increase staff size in both the Lynchburg and Danville clinics," said Tom Urtz, director of communications and marketing for Centra Health.
As of January 2004, the Lynchburg-based partnership served 347 patients at both the Lynchburg and Danville clinics. Patients travel from such Virginia counties as Danville, South Boston and Martinsville.
Of those patients, 287 were eligible for Ryan White financial assistance through Ryan White grants. Last fiscal year, the Centra Health and Medical Associates of Central Virginia partnership received the Ryan White Title III planning grant. The partners used the grant to help further develop an HIV primary health care program already in existence under the Lynchburg Health Department. The expansion resulted in the Infectious Diseases Center of Central Virginia.
"We were looking to optimize care," Urtz said.
The University Medical Center's Infectious Disease Center had been awarded the Ryan White grant issued by Health and Human Services for the past six years.
"These grants help grass-roots organizations reach out to those who have HIV/AIDS and get them in to early and continuous care so that they may live longer, more productive lives," said Tommy G. Thompson, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services secretary, in a news release last month.
The University HIV/AIDS clinic is currently working on a new proposal for next fiscal year. The process could last up to nine months. However, University Hospital spokesperson Abena Foreman-Trice says she is optimistic the University's proposal will be approved.
The clinic will not stop treatment for new or veteran HIV and AIDS patients.
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