Sunday, May 11, 2025
5/11/2025
Ryan White Part C Outpatient EIS Program - Project Title: RWHAP Part C EIS Program: Existing Geographic Service Areas Applicant Name: AcadianaCares Website: www.acadianacares.org Project Director: Claude Martin, CEO Email: claude@acadianacares.org Phone: 337-233-2437 Fax: 337-235-4178 Address: 809 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, Lafayette, LA 70501 List all grant program funds requested in the application, if applicable: $350,000 per year Acadiana CARES (Concern for AIDS Relief Education and Support) incorporated in 1985 as a private, not for profit enterprise whose work initially involved providing HIV-related education, prevention, and care services for individuals and families residing in Lafayette Parish. During this time, a special emphasis was placed on serving People with HIV/AIDS (PLWH) within Communities of Color. The agency’s caring reputation continued to spread by word of mouth, which enabled AcadianaCares to expand its geographic footprint by working with community gatekeepers in six additional parishes Acadia, Evangeline, Iberia, St. Landry, St. Martin and Vermilion. These locations soon became the AcadianaCares’ (as it is now called) targeted service area. This service area is defined by Louisiana’s Department of Health as Region 4. When the Louisiana HIV/AIDS Strategy for Prevention, Treatment and Care Services 2017-2021 was published, there were 20,480 PLWH living in Louisiana; 10,733 (52%) living with a previous AIDS diagnosis and 9,747 (48%) non-AIDS. At the start of 2016, men made up 70% of all PLWH in Louisiana, women accounted for 29%, and just 1% transgender persons. African Americans made up only 32% of Louisiana’s population in 2015, but this population accounted for 68% of all PLWH. The majority of PLWH live in urban areas and are gay, bisexual or other men who have sex with men (GBM). 19% of PLWH reported injection drug use. Region 4 ranked 4th in HIV burden among the nine reporting health regions, with 1,548 PLWH residing in the region. The Louisiana HIV, AIDS, and Early Syphilis Surveillance Quarterly Report archive shows that in 2021, Louisiana ranked 3rd in the nation for HIV case rates (19.5 per 100,000). The CDC no longer provides AIDS rankings in the annual report. As of December 31, 2023, the number of PLWH in Louisiana was 22,978; 10,982 persons (48%) living with a previous AIDS diagnoses. Males still account for 70% of all PLWH in Louisiana, 28% women, and 2% transgender women. African Americans account for 68% of all PLWH. 60% of new diagnoses are GBM. Region 4 ranked 4th in the State of Louisiana in new HIV diagnoses during calendar year 2022. AcadianaCares intends to leverage its organizational architecture to support the proposed Ryan White Part C Early Intervention Services (EIS) while incorporating goals for Ending the HIV Epidemic, such as reducing new HIV infections, increasing access to care and optimizing health outcomes for PLWH, and reducing HIV-related health disparities and health inequities. To achieve these goals, AcadianaCares aligns its efforts around the following focus areas: 1) Widespread testing and linkage to care, 2) Enabling PLWH to access treatment early; 3) Broad support for PLWH to remain engaged in comprehensive care, including treatment adherence support; and 4) Universal viral suppression among PLWH. The proposed program includes: 1) Post-Testing Counseling for High Risk/Newly Diagnosed; 2) Referral Services; 3) Health Literacy/Health Education; and 4) Access and Linkage to Care for PLWH residing in Region 4. By the end of the 3-year project period, 520 unduplicated PLWH shall be enrolled in AcadianaCares HIV health care program. The target population includes: 1) PLWH; 2) GBM; 3) PWID; 4) African American Men; 5) African American Women; 6) Latino/Hispanic Men; 7) Youth (ages 15-24); 8) Young Adults (ages 25-34) and 9) Older Adults (ages 35-54).
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).