PWA Health Group to Restructure Its Services

New York, NY

-- The PWA Health Group announced today a broad restructuring of the services it provides to people living with HIV and AIDS. "The Board felt that we needed to streamline our operation and refocus our efforts on our primary mission -- providing access to useful treatments that otherwise are unavailable," said Jeff Birnbaum, co-chair of the Board of Directors. "We believe that, with changes both in funding availability and the direction of sister AIDS organizations, it was time for us to reassess our programs and other areas of need to ensure that scarce resources are not expended on services offered competently by other agencies."

With its creation in 1987, the PWA Health Group played a central role in pioneering the self-empowerment movement of people living with AIDS. Even today, its founding concept of importing, and even manufacturing, promising alternative therapies otherwise unavailable to people struggling with AIDS is considered unique. "I am proud of what the PWA Health Group has done, and continues to do, for people with HIV," said Dr. Joseph Sonnabend, a board member of the Health Group and one of its founders. "We have made life-saving therapies available and supported consumers in making informed treatment decisions."

"Fortunately," Dr. Sonnabend continued, "current approved drugs in this country have decreased the need for a number of the therapies we have offered over the years. However, we still have individuals who rely on the Health Group for products such as tinidazole and ribavirin, and we will ensure access to these products or expand to include new therapies as the need arises."

Part of the organization's restructuring includes a move to a temporary space while exploring smaller permanent office options. "Once the decision was made to restructure while preserving our treatment 'pipeline,' we began to think about what that meant in terms of staffing, space and other resources. We realized very quickly that we serve most of our clients via the telephone and mail order," said Board Treasurer, Lillian Thieman. Despite the move, Health Group clients can secure uninterrupted access to needed treatments by calling the Health Group at its original phone number.

The PWA Health Group moved to its temporary office space on April 1, 2000. Information about products and ordering can be obtained by contacting the Health Group at:

P.O. Box 136
Village Station
New York, NY 10014
(212) 255-0520
(212) 255-2080 (fax)
pwahg@aidsinfonyc.org

For more information, contact:
Dr. Joseph Sonnabend 212. 523-6682; or
John Falkenberg 212. 628-7559