HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today announced 12 grants totaling $3.8 million to help low-income, medically underserved Americans who are living with HIV/AIDS or are at risk for contracting the virus obtain outpatient and primary health care services.
 
“As many as 300,000 people, many of whom are racial or ethnic minorities, may be HIV-positive but don’t know it,” Secretary Thompson said. “Today’s grants will help get people in to be tested and see that they receive early treatment to slow progression of the disease.”
 
The grants -- awarded under the Title III Early Intervention Services program of the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act -- help ensure that early HIV care is targeted to needy communities in inner cities and rural and remote areas.   In addition to counseling, testing and referral, medical evaluation and clinical care, the grants also support oral health care, adherence counseling, nutritional counseling, outpatient mental health, outpatient substance abuse, and appropriate referral for specialty and subspecialty care.
 
“These grant recipients have a track record of providing outstanding services to people living with HIV/AIDS who need it most,” said Elizabeth M. Duke, administrator of HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration. “In 2001, two-thirds of the more than 150,000 people who received HIV-related care from our Title III grantees were racial or ethnic minorities.”
 
All 12 of the grant recipients have received Title III grants for at least the previous three years. This year they submitted applications to compete for continued funding. The recipients include community-based clinics and medical centers, hospitals, public health departments and universities in nine states.
 
HHS’ CARE Act programs help an estimated 530,000 poor and uninsured individuals with HIV/AIDS obtain primary health care, support services and life-sustaining medications each year. Since the CARE Act was first funded in fiscal year 1991, nearly $13.6 billion in grants has been awarded. CARE Act grants are managed by HRSA’s HIV/AIDS Bureau.
 
The fiscal year 2003 Title III Early Intervention Services grant awards are listed below.
 

FY 2003 Title III Early Intervention Services Grants
Organization	City	State	Amount
Whatley Health Services, Inc.	Tuscaloosa	Ala.	$343,666
St. Mary’s Family Practice	Grand Junction	Colo.	232,540
Polk County Health Department	Bartow	Fla.	427,335
Okaloosa County Health Department	Ft. Walton Beach	Fla.	300,000
Hendry County Health Department	LaBelle	Fla.	276,070
Lowndes County Board of Health	Valdosta	Ga.	467,812
Louisiana State University Health Science Center Earl K. Long Memorial Hospital	Baton Rouge	La.	300,000
Chadron Community Hospital	Chadron	Neb.	132,547
St. John Riverside Hospital	Yonkers	N.Y.	400,000
Metrolina AIDS Project	Charlotte	N.C.	271,465
Tri-County Community Health Center	Dunn	N.C.	275,000
Lancaster General Hospital	Lancaster	Pa.	367,681
Total:			$3,794,116