Friday, April 18, 2025
4/18/2025
Ryan White Title III HIV Capacity Development and Planning Grants - Address: 35 Medical Center parkway, Augusta Maine, 04330 Project Director Name: Gillian Laplante, Practice Administrator, Horizon Program Contact Phone Numbers (Voice, Fax): 207-248-0477 Email Address: Gillian.Laplante@MaineGeneral.org Website Address: https://www.mainegeneral.org/locations/locations-profile/mainegeneral-horizon-program-augusta/ List all grant program funds requested in the application: MaineGeneral Medical Center’s Ryan White HIV/AIDS Part C Early Intervention Services Program, also known as the Horizon Program, is requesting $58,000 under the Ryan White HIV/AID Program Part C Capacity Development Program (HRSA-23-052) Description of project: MaineGeneral Medical Center’s Ryan White Part C Early Intervention Services Program, known as the Horizon Program, provides high quality, compassionate and comprehensive medical care and social services to individuals who are HIV positive. The Horizon Program has one clinic, located in Augusta Maine (Kennebec County), and serves residents from nine of 16 Maine counties, including: Androscoggin, Franklin, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Oxford, Sagadahoc, Somerset and Waldo. Eight of these nine counties (excluding Androscoggin) are categorized rural as defined by the Federal Offices of Rural Health Policy. People living with HIV/AIDS, particularly in rural communities, often experience discrimination and stigma that negatively impacts their physical and mental wellbeing. While this is a challenge for the HIV/AIDS community as a whole, the challenges are amplified significantly for the transgender community in Maine. Data shows that the transgender community has an increased risk of contracting HIV/AIDS; however, our healthcare workforce has not been trained in gender-affirming care; we do not have specific policies and procedures that support our transgender community; and our clinical environments have not been evaluated through a gender-affirming lens. With the requested resources our dedicated team will become certified to provide sexual and gender minority health training, develop a MaineGeneral-specific gender and minority health training curriculum, facilitate trainings with internal and external partners. The team will also implement strategies to create a gender-inclusive environment at the Horizon Clinic from signage and marketing materials to our policies, procedures and intake forms. This project has been designed to increase knowledge and understanding of health inequities among our transgender population and ways in which we can empower one another to recognize our own biases. Rural Maine communities can be considered culturally-conservative, it is our goal to makes strides toward reducing stigma, discrimination and health inequities among our LGBTQ+ community and ultimately, increase the quality of care and services for the transgender population.
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).