ACRIA and Amida Care Host "Dialogue for Life" with Douglas Brooks

On August 7-8 in New York City, ACRIA and Amida Care will co-host "Dialogue for Life" forums, led by Douglas Brooks, the newly appointed Director of The White House Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP).

"We are looking forward to a meaningful and spirited conversation with consumers, providers and advocates around the successes and challenges associated with HIV/AIDS policy and services in New York City," says Doug Wirth, President/CEO of Amida Care. "We are very excited to be partnering with ACRIA and our community cosponsors to welcome the ONAP forums and Douglas Brooks back to New York."

These regional ONAP Listening Sessions will focus on the efforts being made locally by AIDS organizations, consumers and advocates to advance the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS), increase access to care under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) through Medicaid expansion and the State health insurance exchange, as well as explore Ryan White and Housing Opportunities for People With AIDS (HOPWA) funding needs.

"This is an important opportunity for New York City AIDS organizations and people living with HIV/AIDS to be heard and provide feedback to The White House National HIV/AIDS strategy from the front lines of the epidemic," said Benjamin Bashein, Acting Director of ACRIA.

As of December 31, 2012, 115,000 people were living with HIV in NYC. Each year, nearly 1,000 people in NYC fail to learn they are HIV-positive until already affected by AIDS. While citywide rates have declined over the last decade, HIV morbidity is increasing among certain subgroups, such as young men who have sex with men (MSM) of color. As HIV is increasingly becoming a chronic disease, it is important to not only focus on screening and testing but also disease management to maintain undetectable viral loads.

The forums will include on the agenda a number of key officials who work diligently on HIV/AIDS policies on the federal, state and city levels, with follow up and responses from the forum's participants during the Listening Session panels, including ONAP's Brooks.

"Brooks has expressed his excitement to join us in New York and is looking forward to hearing about our best practices, challenges, plans, and policies for New York," said Bashein.

Moderating a panel on August 7 in upper Manhattan will be Tracie M. Gardner, Co-Director of Policy at The Legal Action Center, who said that, "this will be a critical opportunity to collectively assess our progress and chart future steps in light of policy and funding landscape changes such as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Ryan White Reauthorization and specifically to New York as the State embarks on the 'Campaign to End AIDS'.

And on Friday, August 8, ASOs and PLWHAs will gather at 1:30 p.m. at the Brooklyn Law School, 205 State Street, 22nd Floor in Brooklyn to explore these issues at a second listening panel.

"It is imperative to ensure that all voices, both service providers and people living with HIV/AIDS, are heard and included as we move forward to strengthen and expand our collective work to end the AIDS epidemic," said GMHC CEO Kelsey Louie, who will moderate the panel at the August 8 forum in central Brooklyn.

For more information, call 844-304-8765 or email [email protected]