For low-income and uninsured individuals with HIV, support services are essential to accessing care. They also contribute to early and consistent care. That is the conclusion drawn by eight new studies (see below) released at the Ryan White CARE Act 2002 Grantees' Conference in August. More than 2,000 recipients of CARE Act grants convened in Washington for the annual conference, whose objectives were to improve systems of care for people with HIV/AIDS; enhance the abilities of grantees to comply with changes in the reauthorized CARE Act; increase grantees' knowledge of administrative requirements; and enable grantees to share best practices.

In support of the findings, Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced 99 grants totaling nearly $10 million to help rural, underserved and minority communities increase care and services, and provide dental care for people who are living with HIV or are at risk of infection. "Many communities across America continue to experience extreme difficulties in providing high-quality health care services to their residents living with HIV/AIDS," Thompson said. "These grants will help those communities fill that need."

The eight independent studies documenting the role support services play in helping low-income and uninsured people access health care and treatment services are:

• "The Impact of Ancillary HIV Services on Engagement in Medical Care in New York City," by Peter Messeri, et al.

• "HIV Multidisciplinary Teams Work: Support Services Improve Access to and Retention in HIV Primary Care," by Kim Stieglitz, et al.

• "Association of Ancillary Services with Primary Care Utilization and Retention for Patients with HIV/AIDS," by Wilson Lo, et al.

• "The Impact of Ancillary Services on Primary Care Use and Outcomes for HIV/AIDS Patients with Public Insurance Coverage," by Christopher Conover and Kathryn Whetten-Goldstein.

• "Recipients in Need of Ancillary Services and Their Receipt of HIV Medical Care in California," by Dixie Chan, et al.

• "A Profile of an HIV- and Child-Specific Program in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA," by Manya Magnus, et al.

• "Women with HIV Infection: A Model of University-Based Care, Training and Research," by Linda Mundy, et al.

For more information about the studies or grants, visit www.hhs.gov.

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