New York City HIV Planning Group Welcomes New Members in Launch of 2013 Work

According to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), HIV Epidemiology and Field Services Program, in the first half of 2011, there were 1,749 new diagnoses of HIV/AIDS in New York City, bringing the total number of persons diagnosed, reported and presumed to be residing in NYC to 111,949. The HIV epidemic in New York City affects women, men and transgender persons, people of all races, ethnicities, cultural backgrounds, neighborhoods, ages and risk factors.

Prevention is central to New York City's response aimed at curbing the HIV epidemic, including a wide-ranging portfolio of strategic public health interventions and initiatives, largely funded through a $34.2M cooperative agreement with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The use of these funds is guided by the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, released by the White House in 2010, and outlined in the DOHMH Jurisdictional HIV Prevention Plan. An essential component of the development and monitoring of the Jurisdictional HIV Prevention Plan for NYC is the ongoing collaborative government/community planning process that DOHMH engages in via the New York City HIV Planning Group (NYC HPG).

On January 28, 2013, the NYC HPG, formerly known as the New York City HIV Prevention Planning Group (NYC PPG), marks the launch of its 2013 work with the its Annual Strategic Planning Meeting (ASPM). Welcoming new and returning members representing communities throughout NYC, as well as partnering city and state government agencies, the ASPM is an example of strategic collaborations that work to improve the health of our city. Many NYC HPG community representatives have been invested in HIV prevention and care work in NYC for years and in some cases decades, and like the epidemic itself represent various races/ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, ages, neighborhoods and backgrounds.

New and returning community members include Denise Arzola, Bailey House; Karen Baird; Matt Baney, Mount Sinai Hospital; Fay Barrett, William F. Ryan Community Health Center; Moya Brown, Harm Reduction Coalition; Ashlie Butler, New York University; Michael Camacho, AIDS Healthcare Foundation; Leonardo Cambar, CAMBA, Inc.; Anthony Freeman, LGBT Center; Julia Franklin, Callen-Lorde Community Health Center; Cynthia Lee, Harlem Hospital Center; Tracy Mack, Exponents, Inc.; Edward Manchess, Citiwide Harm Reduction; William Nazareth, Callen-Lorde Community Health Center; Tei Okamoto, APICHA Community Health Center; Anthony Palmer, North Shore LIJ Health System; Hector Quinones, After Hours Project; Jarad Ringer, NYC Gay & Lesbian Anti-Violence Project; Mathew Rodriguez, TheBody.com; Kimberly Sanders, Planned Parenthood of NYC; Kimberleigh Smith, Harlem United; Michele Song; Eishelle Tillery, Ryan-NENA Community Health Center; Marcella Tillett, Planned Parenthood of NYC; Shirley Torho, The Child Center of New York; Hector Torres, Latino Commission on AIDS; Justin Toro, Children's Hospital at Montefiore Adolescent AIDS Program; DaShawn Usher, Project ACHIEVE; and Raymond Williams, Harlem United.

In addition to NYC DOHMH's Community Partnerships Group, other governmental agencies/offices engaged in the HIV planning process include NYC Human Resources Administration, HIV/AIDS Services Administration; NYC Department of Juvenile Justice; New York City Council, Health Committee; NYC Department of Corrections; NYS Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services; NYC Borough of Manhattan, Office of the President; NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation; New York State AIDS Institute, Division of HIV Prevention; NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene, Ryan White Planning Council; New York City Department of Education, Office of Fitness & Health Education; and NYC Children Services, Office of Child and Family Health.

The bulk of NYC HPG's work is completed within five public health strategy-focused work groups, which include 1) HIV Counseling Testing and Referral/Linkage to Care Services, 2) Prevention with High Risk Negatives, 3) Policy and External Relations, 4) Membership and Community Engagement, 5) Prevention with Positives. All work group and general meetings are open to the public and individuals interested in contributing to the NYC response to the HIV epidemic are encouraged to participate. The first general meeting of the year will be held on February 19, 2013 from 1:00pm-5:00pm at the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, located at 2 Gotham, 42-09 28th St., Long Island City. To RSVP, contact Linda Battle, Community Partnerships Group Administrator, lbattle@health.nyc.gov.