AAHIVM Board Members Hold Legislative Roundtable to Discuss Academy's Public-Policy Role and Objectives

Washington, D.C. -- Senior federal health officials and AIDS policy experts met recently with board members from AAHIVM for a roundtable discussion on the Academy's emerging role in promoting high-quality HIV care through public-policy activities. Officials and AIDS advocates alike said they believe AAHIVM's involvement in this arena will enhance HIV-related public-policy activities by bringing the voice of physicians treating HIV to the public debate. Attendees felt AIDS-advocacy efforts can only be strengthened by including the voices of professionals and experts and expressed enthusiasm at the prospect of partnering with AAHIVM's "white coats" in advocating for sound HIV-related public policies.

Federal officials attending the meeting included Dr. Helene Gayle, director of CDC's Center for HIV/TB/STD Prevention; Dr. Joseph O'Neill, assistant administrator for HIV/AIDS for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA); Dr. Eric Goosby, AIDS policy director for the Department of Health and Human Services; and Randy Graydon, HIV point-person for the Health Care Financing Administration.

A number of key AIDS organizations, including the National Association of People with AIDS, National African-American AIDS Leadership Institute, Whitman-Walker Clinic, AIDS Foundation of Chicago, and San Francisco AIDS Foundation, were also represented.

• Reach out to a wide range of potential strategic partners, including leading medical groups, in pursuing its public-policy program.

• Build its public-policy activities around efforts to develop a core HIV curriculum, viewed as a major step in advancing the quality of HIV care.

• Work to expand opportunities for providers to become HIV specialists, especially in underserved communities, in addition to focusing on improving quality for those already in care.

HRSA's Dr. O'Neill, who oversees the Ryan White program, and Dr. Goosby of HHS said the Academy was ideally positioned to bring greater attention to HIV quality-of-care issues by taking the lead in identifying the key components of the continuum of care for people with HIV/AIDS.

During the months prior to the public-policy roundtable, AAHIVM established contact with local and national AIDS organizations as well as traditional (including minority) leadership organizations to share its view that HIV quality-of-care issues are and should be as important to the HIV health care provider as to the person living with HIV.

Dr. Scott Hitt, AAHIVM President, stated, "AAHIVM's goal is to provide consistent and credible support through advocacy and education to all HIV health care providers by making it possible for those practicing HIV health care to do it effectively, efficiently, and responsibly to ensure better care for those living with HIV/AIDS."

He added, "The Academy is simply responding to a need from HIV health care providers and people living with HIV to continue to improve HIV health care delivery as well as provide an atmosphere for dialogue among the HIV health care specialist, other health care providers, and the person living with HIV."

Dr. Hitt also announced that future meetings are being planned with AIDS community representatives and that AAHIVM is in the process of naming a public-policy committee of the board of directors. He indicated that the ultimate outcome of these efforts, anticipated later this year, will be a comprehensive strategic plan for AAHIVM's public policy-program.

Back to The Nexus April/May 2001 contents page.