Tuesday, April 29, 2025
4/29/2025
Ryan White Part C Outpatient EIS Program - Project Title: FY2025 Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Part C Early Intervention Services Program: Existing Geographic Service Areas Applicant Organization Name: Western North Carolina Community Health Services, Inc. Address: 257 Biltmore Avenue, Asheville, NC 28801 Project Director Name: Kim Wagenaar, CEO Contact Phone Numbers (Voice): (828) 285-0622 ext. 2408 (Fax): (828) 285-9831 E-Mail Address: kwagenaar@wncchs.org Web Site Address: www.wncchs.org List all grant program funds requested in the application: $647,151 Funding preference: WNCCHS requests a funding preference as it meets the criteria for increased burden, rural, and underserved areas. Summary of Application. For over two decades, Western North Carolina Community Health Services, Inc. (WNCCHS) has been providing high-quality, comprehensive health care services to people with HIV (PWH) in an 18-county region in western North Carolina (NC). In accordance with the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative, WNCCHS’s Part C EIS program activities strive to decrease transmission and improve health outcomes for PWH and reduce HIV-related health disparities and health inequities by focusing on the priority strategies of Diagnose, Treat, Prevent, and Respond. WNCCHS’s EIS program serves an 18-county area, including Avery, Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, and Yancey counties. Continuation of Part C EIS program funding will ensure that WNCCHS can continue providing convenient and accessible comprehensive primary care to low-income PWH in this region, ensuring access to the essential HIV care and treatment and support services needed to help them achieve viral suppression. Service Area and Needs. As of December 2022, there were 1,812 PWH in the WNCCHS service area. This marks a 6.0% increase (from 1,709) since 2020. There were 916 people, or 50.6%, living with HIV-non-AIDS, while 49.4% (896) were people living with AIDS. The majority of the growth in the PWH population came among people living with HIV-non-AIDS, whose numbers grew by 9.7% (from 835 to 916). The number of people living with AIDS also increased, from 874 to 896 (2.5%). The number of people newly diagnosed with HIV increased from 38 in 2020 to 55 in 2022, while the number people newly diagnosed AIDS increased from 21 in 2020 to 26 in 2022. These data indicate that service area residents continue to be diagnosed with HIV/AIDS at a significant rate, while concurrently a steady but significant number of PWH in the service area are progressing to AIDS disease. Increased access to the Part C EIS services offered at WNCCHS may help limit the transmission of HIV in the community, as well as slow the progression of the disease among those who are HIV positive. Proposed Project, including Key Services and Target Populations. Part C EIS program funding will ensure that WNCCHS can continue providing convenient and accessible comprehensive primary care to low-income PWH in this large region. WNCCHS proposes to provide Part C services using an interdisciplinary team targeting at-risk and HIV infected individuals in their progression along the HIV Care Continuum. Key services include HIV primary care, prescription medications, treatment adherence, medical case management, and support services. Clients also have access to the extensive array of FQHC services provided outside of Part C funding. WNCCHS anticipates serving at least 240 EIS users in the upcoming year.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).