Washington, DC – HealthHIV has been selected as a grantee for Gilead Science’s HIV Age Positively® initiative. A recipient from the initial phase of the program, HealthHIV will continue to engage in efforts to advance its Pozitively Aging program for people aging with HIV (PWH). The program addresses enhanced access and care coordination services for PWH through health services research, advocacy and education.
HealthHIV’s Pozitively Aging program features numerous activities, including the HealthHIV’s Annual State of Aging with HIV National Survey™ report, the National Center for Care Coordination and Positively Aging with HIV, and the Aging With HIV Institute, held annually at the SYNChronicity Conference. The program also addresses policies that advance care optimization and coordination for those aging with HIV.
“Gilead is proud to support these local community-based organizations who are working on behalf of aging PLWH over 50,” said Brett Pletcher, Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs and General Counsel, Gilead Sciences. “This next round of grant funding will expand care and well-being services and support advocacy for robust policy changes that we hope will help to meet the urgent and growing needs of this unique community.”
The HealthHIV’s Annual State of Aging with HIV National Survey™ report details the experiences of people living with an HIV diagnosis for 15 or more years as well as people with HIV (PWH) over age 50, a population expected to comprise three-quarters of all people living with HIV by 2030. It gives important insight into this rapidly growing segment of the PWH population and helps inform the training needs of providers as they coordinate care for PWH across the lifespan.
HealthHIV will expand its National Resource Center for Care Coordination and Pozitively Aging with HIV at AgingWithHIV.org. The National Resource Center features current research, education offerings, and resource databases designed to enhance healthcare provider and patient knowledge related to the experiences of PWH and the co-management of conditions associated with aging with HIV.
The Aging With HIV Institute held annually at SYNChronicity brings together community leaders, provider participants to discuss and frame their shared experience through conversations with a focus on developing adaptive and innovative recommendations and evidence-based interventions that reduce disability and improve service delivery for people aging with HIV.
“In our system of publicly-funded HIV care coordination, we treat the body first, the mind second, and the spirit, or anything that shapes our quality of life, as a non-fundable service category. We need to define universally what “care coordination” actually is and should be — across all aspects of our health. Our Pozitively Aging program aims to do just that,” stated HealthHIV’s Director of Advocacy Scott D. Bertani.
About HealthHIV’s Pozitively Aging Program
HealthHIV’s Pozitively Aging program addresses increased access to services and improved care coordination for people aging with HIV, specifically for those over 50, or those who have lived with HIV for 15 or more years. Its National Resource Center for Care Coordination and Pozitively Aging with HIV builds the capacity of HIV and primary care providers to coordinate care for people living and aging with HIV across a lifetime. This program enhances provider and patient knowledge related to the experiences of PWH and the comanagement of conditions associated with aging with HIV. For more information, visit HealthHIV.org/PozitivelyAging or AgingWithHIV.org
