By Ella Shapiro

As a member of Generation Z, the HIV epidemic has always felt distant to me. Growing up in the early 2000s and 2010s, I remember hearing stories about the epidemic. I heard about how it impacted the LGTBQ+ community, how Princess Diana famously shook the hand of a person living with AIDS in 1987, but ultimately that receiving an HIV diagnosis today is no longer a death sentence like it once was thanks to current treatment options.  

It wasn’t until I was a freshman in college that I met someone who shared with me that they were living with HIV (although surely, I met people previously who hadn’t shared their status with me). Up until that point, I hadn’t realized that many people were still living with HIV. Luckily, the person I knew was engaged in care and healthy, but it made me aware that the epidemic was far from over.  

Three years later, in my senior year of college, I was required to find an internship to supplement my journalism degree. While looking for opportunities I found an advertisement for an editorial internship with AIDS Foundation Chicago (AFC). Despite living in Southern California and having little knowledge of the work AFC was doing I felt drawn to its mission of expanding health equity, so I decided to apply.  

Within a month of applying, I was selected for the position and began my internship. Quickly, I realized how limited my knowledge of HIV/AIDS was. In fact, before starting my internship I didn’t even fully understand the difference between HIV and AIDS. I began to learn more about the epidemic, how it was impacting people in Chicago, Illinois and around the world. I also learned about the systemic factors that resulted in certain groups, particularly people of color and transgender women of color, being disproportionately impacted by HIV and other public health issues. 

The reason that I felt impassioned to work for AFC in the first place was because I have always cared deeply about all people having equal access to high quality, affirming health care. Although my knowledge of the HIV epidemic was lacking, I had a more thorough understanding of housing, reproductive health, and substance use, public health issues that are driven by unequal access to services. When I came to AFC, I learned that these other issues I was passionate about were not separate from the HIV epidemic, but instead deeply intertwined with it.  

As AFC’s editorial intern my work has centered storytelling. I have had the privilege of speaking with health care workers, AFC staff members, community organizers and long term survivors. Through the interviews I’ve conducted I’ve learned about the stigma that still exists for people living with HIV and the social determinants of health that inform a person’s health outcomes. One of the most important things I’ve learned while writing is the significance of the language we use. The way we discuss HIV matters and that’s why using people-first language is critical in order to tell genuine, meaningful and dignified stories.  

Working with AFC has been transformative on multiple levels, from professional to personal. I’ve developed my writing and researching skills while working alongside and learning from AFC’s dedicated external relations department. I’ve also become a more informed and compassionate individual. I will always be grateful that AFC gave me the space and resources to grow and educate myself. I urge other young people, perhaps people like me who didn’t grow up understanding the HIV epidemic to learn more about it, listen to other people’s stories and empathize with their experiences.  

To learn more about HIV, click here. To learn more about the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Illinois, click here.

By Ella Shapiro 

Growing up in Garfield Park, Zahara Bassett remembers having to frequently travel to the North Side of Chicago to access gender-affirming spaces and receive medical care, food and housing assistance. Despite loving her neighborhood, it was clear to Zahara, as a Black transgender woman, that it lacked necessary resources for her and many others, especially services specifically tailored to Black transgender and non-binary residents.  

Zahara knew that things needed to change, so she began conducting direct community outreach on the West Side of Chicago in 2015. During the holiday season, Zahara worked with her friends to cook and distribute warm meals to people experiencing homelessness on Christmas day. Zahara continued providing meals for people without permanent housing over the next few years, but she knew that there was more work to be done. 

In 2017, Zahara increased her community-driven service by founding Life is Work, a nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing the gaps in services for transgender and gender non-binary communities of color in Chicago. Life is Work is also part of AIDS Foundation Chicago (AFC)’s 2021 Learning Circle Collaborative (LCC) cohort, a program that helps Black- and Latinx-led organizations increase fundraising capacity and develop strong connections with other agencies in Chicago to support people of color and people living with HIV. 

“I’m a visionary and I know what my community needs,” Zahara said. “I’m looking forward to growing with the collective, sharing resources and connecting to streamline clients as a whole.”  

One of the ways Life is Work is addressing the needs of their community is by increasing access to HIV care for transgender and gender non-binary people. HIV rates are staggeringly high among transgender women of color. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 42% of all transgender women are living with HIV and 62% of Black transgender women were living with HIV in seven cities. According to the Getting to Zero Illinois Dashboard, less than two-thirds of transgender women in Chicago were retained in care or virally suppressed in 2019.  

Life is Work is trying to change this reality. Through a partnership with Cook County Health, Life is Work quickly and effectively refers clients who have tested positive for HIV to care services and arranges appointments with health care providers for clients who are interested in starting PrEP. So far, Life is Work has been able to schedule an appointment for every client who has expressed interest in PrEP within five days of their initial request.  

In addition to offering HIV care referrals, Life is Work also operates a thrift store in Austin called Solidarity Resale. Solidarity Resale not only provides the public with gently used clothes, shoes and accessories, it also gives Life is Work’s clients the chance to work four to eight hours per week, earn a stipend and meet with a career mentor to discuss their goals and how to achieve them.  

 Solidarity Resale is designed to connect clients with consistent economic support through employment. According to the CDC, people who have steady employment are more likely to have access to health care, healthy food and housing, all of which contribute to a person’s health outcomes.  

All the services Life is Work offers, including rapid rehousing and referrals, employment training, placement and non-medical case management, aim to comprehensively address each client’s health needs. While Life is Work was created based on the needs that Zahara witnessed for LGBTQ+ communities of color on the West Side, anyone in Chicago is eligible to receive assistance from the organization. 

“Our services are geared towards LGBTQ+ (people), specifically trans people, but we tell everyone we’re open,” Zahara said. “If you need assistance we’re here to help. We’re not turning anyone away.” 

Moving forward, Zahara hopes to expand Life is Work’s capacity and continue to provide accessible, affirming services for people across the Chicagoland area. As a member of this year’s LCC cohort, she plans to exchange knowledge and resources with the cohort’s other organizations in order to best support one another and the communities they are serving.  

“I’m looking forward to learning and seeing what they have to offer to Life is Work to help us grow,” Zahara said. “My advocacy is not built around reinventing the wheel but creating unification of the wheel.”  

To learn more about the Learning Circle Collaborative click here. To donate to Life is Work’s Angel Donor Campaign click here. To donate to Life is Work’s Help Us Help Us Campaign click here. 

By Ella Shapiro

For those of us working to end the HIV epidemic it is not news that housing is health care, but perhaps for others that connection is not so obvious.  

When you have a house, steady employment and a primary care provider it becomes easy to prioritize your health because your basic needs are being met. When those same basic needs are not met, it becomes challenging, and sometimes impossible, to do so. This remains true for people living with HIV and other chronic health conditions, such as asthma and diabetes. According to a 2016 study, people living with HIV are more likely to access and adhere to HIV medication when they have stable housing.  

Knowing this, AIDS Foundation Chicago (AFC) and its supporting organization the Center for Housing and Health (CHH) are committed to using a housing-first approach, a philosophy that links people experiencing homelessness with safe, affordable housing quickly, to meet their health needs. 

“Housing is key to ending the epidemic for people living with HIV and to helping people become more stable,” Brandi Calvert, CHH’s Senior Director of Housing Operations, said. “It’s at the foundation of everything.”

To best support people experiencing homelessness CHH offers a variety of services and programs, including housing assistance, financial aid, harm reduction, case management and educational resources.  

One example of this is the Flexible Housing Pool, a CHH program that partners with local landlords to match people experiencing homelessness and living with serious chronic health conditions with affordable housing in Cook County. Once enrolled, clients are linked to a housing case manager, receive rent and utility assistance for as long as needed and are supported in furnishing their homes. In the past year the Flexible Housing Pool has successfully housed 281 households, and 95% of clients have stayed in housing past the 12-month mark. 

Rachel Sanchez, one of the Flexible Housing Pool’s housing specialists, has personally helped house more than 75 clients and has seen firsthand how having a stable place to live impacts a person’s overall wellbeing. 

Rachel explained that many of her clients who are experiencing homelessness are at risk of losing their medication and personal identification (which is often necessary for booking medical appointments) since they do not have a secure place to keep their belongings. Additionally, not having housing can be very stressful, which contributes to trouble sleeping, poor appetite and worsened chronic health conditions.

“Health care is not just going to the doctor and getting medicine,” Rachel said. “Health care means having a balanced diet, exercising and (having access to) mental health care. Many people don’t have access to any of that (because of unstable housing).” 

Directly helping clients secure permanent housing is an important part of what CHH does, but the work does not stop there. CHH also advocates for improving practices within the health care sector by bringing together health care providers to address systemic issues and share resources. 

One of the fundamental issues that CHH has identified as critical to ending homelessness is the need for more flexible funding. Often, the funding that organizations like CHH receive is restricted, and can only be used for a few specific services. However, people seeking housing have diverse and unique needs, including furniture, transportation, mental health care and more. It’s important that once housed, people continue to receive the services and support they need to thrive. 

“We don’t have enough sources of flexible funding to meet the great housing need in our area,” Brandi said. “Not just at CHH, but across all organizations. [We need] the funding to increase the number of units in our system and get people the things that make a home a home.”  

Making a house feel like a home is what continues to drive CHH staff. Rachel remembers one of her clients dancing and jumping up and down when she handed him the keys to his new apartment. When she asked why he was so happy he told her that he enjoyed cooking but hadn’t been able to while he was experiencing homelessness. Having his own apartment and stove meant that he could do what he loved again.  

Looking forward, AFC and CHH are excited to continue growing and increasing their capacity for helping people experiencing homelessness find homes, connect with health care and live happy, healthy lives. 

“Housing is a sense of stability,” Rachel said. “Housing is your anchor.”  

To learn more about the Center for Housing and Health click here. To support people experiencing homelessness donate here. 

By Brian Solem

When I hear the word “dashboard,” the first thing that comes to mind is the illuminating glow of a car’s control panel, telling me how fast I’m going, what song is playing and whether I need to refill my gas tank (usually, the answer is “yes”). 

The Getting to Zero Illinois (GTZ-IL) Dashboard is … well, it’s not going to inspire a music recommendation or let me know if I’m out of washer fluid. Instead, it has a greater purpose: to take data about people, present it in a way that’s easy to understand, and inform action needed to better support people living with and disproportionately impacted by HIV and AIDS. 

When we talk about data, we are talking about real people and real lives. Since it launched this summer, the GTZ-IL Dashboard has helped match real-life numbers to some of the hugely important goals that the plan aims to achieve. That helps  anyone making an impact on the HIV epidemic see where we’re at and where we need to go to ensure  everyone living with and vulnerable to HIV has the resources they need to thrive.  

Still, you may not have had a chance to fully explore all the dashboard has to offer, so here are three ways the dashboard can come in handy for you, whether you’re an HIV advocate, a front-line health care provider or are overseeing a housing or prevention program. 

Tracking our progress toward Zero

The GTZ-IL Dashboard helps Illinoisans understand the more complex picture of the HIV epidemic in our state by letting the user zoom in on factors like race/ethnicity, gender and more. This helps us understand how something like racism can impact the way different communities experience HIV — and help the health care community respond with greater intentionality. Take Illinois’ rates of people living with HIV who are engaged in care. On the surface, the Dashboard shows us overall, we’re on track to meet our goals.  But the Dashboard also helps scrape away the surface and see that, in fact, this is only true for white Illinoisans; care connections are actually declining for Black and Latina/o/e/x Illinoisans. Having information visible, digestible and clear helps us all see the bigger picture of the epidemic. 

Getting the facts straight

Sometimes it’s hard to digest the many facts and figures that tell us about the  HIV epidemic in Illinois. Those numbers can differ from year to year, for different racial and ethnic communities, genders and sexualities. How do you sort out these varied data points? By going to the Dashboard! 

David Kern, Deputy Commissioner of the Syndemic Infectious Disease Bureau at the Chicago Department of Public Health, was able to help an organization update their marketing materials for an event by referring to the Dashboard.  

“I received an email announcing an upcoming event. The e-flyer included an incorrect fact about HIV diagnoses among a specific population,” said David. “I knew the information was wrong, so I went to the GTZ-IL Dashboard and searched for data on the new HIV diagnoses among specific populations. The data confirmed  new diagnoses are actually going down among all populations. We sent the correct information (screen shots and link to the dashboard) to the event organizer and asked for the flyer be updated with correct data.” 

The Dashboard can now help a whole host of people talking about HIV — including reporters, students and teachers, public health planners, elected officials, and you and me — have the  facts about the epidemic. 

Understanding the data  

With an abundance of data available to review, compare and digest, it can get overwhelming to process it all. Fortunately, the GTZ-IL Dashboard creators anticipated this and offer two solutions to information fatigue. First, they created community-specific breakdowns to help users understand  how some communities most impacted by HIV are experiencing the epidemic. Take this important breakdown of young gay Black men in Chicago. In one page, you can view a spectrum of information which paints a clear picture of where this community is in relation to the epidemic — and, for public health leaders, it conveys the importance of including young gay Black men in Chicago in every and all decision made to advance us toward Zero.  

Second, for users who need a little outside help to process the charts, graphs and figures, there are helpful narratives included throughout. An example of this is the Priority Population focus on transgender women of color in Illinois: it helps you understand the journey through the “continuum of care” (a term  referring to the journey a person takes from testing to diagnosis to care to viral suppression) for trans women of color in Illinois based on the numbers. 

Moving beyond data  

So, if you haven’t yet checked out the Dashboard, now is a great time to steer that way. But before you race off, there’s one more thing I’d like to leave you with. Data is hugely helpful in digesting the factors which contribute to the HIV epidemic, but in many ways, it’s just a start of a conversation vs. the end-all-be-all. Data can help us ask deeper questions to help us rev our engines toward Zero, but it’s up to us to take action, advocate and provide solutions to the issues the data illuminates. Let’s use the dashboard to better understand the data and (yes, I promise this is my last vehicular metaphor) fuel our efforts to get to Zero! 

By Bailey Williams

Every year on December 1, the HIV community celebrates World AIDS Day, a day where we make space for and listen to people living with HIV, mourn those lost to AIDS-related complications and rally together to support the end of the HIV epidemic.  

This year marks the 40th year anniversary of the HIV epidemic. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues alongside persisting health inequities, it is more important now than ever to show up and support those living with and impacted by HIV.  

AIDS Foundation Chicago (AFC) staff and advocates are participating in events commemorating World AIDS Day throughout the week, starting Monday, November 29. Join these important conversations and donate to help us continue supporting people living with and disproportionately impacted by HIV year-round. 

Monday, November 29

“Change Not Chains” virtual event on Monday, November 29, 11 a.m. CT  

A panel discussion sponsored by Ohio Health Modernization Movement (OHMM), a coalition of advocates working to modernize their state’s law criminalizing individuals living with HIV. To register, click this Zoom link.

Tuesday, November 30

“Crimson Table Talk” in-person and virtual discussion on Tuesday, November 30, 6:30-8:30 p.m. CT at Tinley Park Community Arts Center in Tinley, IL 

AFC Ryan White Care Coordination Manager DJ Rivers-White, MA will join the Joliet Area/South Suburban Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and various community partners for both an in-person and virtual discussion. In-person attendees must show proof of a negative COVID-19 test. To register click this link.

Wednesday, December 1

In-person Community Celebration of the Historic Passage of HB1063 on Wednesday, December 1, 1:00-2:00 p.m. CT at the DuSable Museum, 740 E 56th Place, Chicago, IL 60637 

This event will celebrate the historic passage of HB1063, which decriminalized HIV in Illinois. The event will feature the presentation of the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation’s (ETAF) Legislator Leadership Award to to recipients Senator Robert Peters, of the 13th District and Representative Carol Ammons, of the 103rd District—and will feature keynote speakers. Featured keynote speakers include: Senator Robert Peters of the 13th District, ETAF Legislative Leadership Award recipient; Representative Carol Ammons of the 103rd District, ETAF Legislative Leadership Award recipient; Robert Suttle, founding member of Sero; Christian Castro, coalition member of the Illinois HIV Action Alliance; and Chris Wade, member of the Illinois Alliance for Sound AIDS Policy. A negative COVID-19 test or proof of vaccination is required for the in-person event.

In-person event at Belmont Harbor Yacht Club on Wednesday, December 1 at 9:00 a.m. CT 

Antonio King, LGBTQ Health and Outreach Liaison in the Chicago Dept. of Public Health’s HIV/STI Bureau, and John Peller, AFC President/CEO, will comment on the current status of the HIV epidemic, along with Alderman Tom Tunney and AIDS Garden Chicago Board President Yoni Pizer. Immediately following the remarks and refreshments, attendees are invited to join AFC for a sneak preview of the AIDS Garden Chicago, which is nearing completion. To RSVP, email Willa Iglitzen Lang at the Chicago Parks Foundation, [email protected]. Please note: The Garden is still under construction so appropriate footwear is required.

Monday, December 6

Virtual conversation: HIV Data Dissemination to Inform GTZ-IL Progress and Identify Areas for Improvement on Monday, December 6, 12:00 p.m. to 1 p.m. CT 

The Getting to Zero-Illinois (GTZ-IL) Plan launched in May 2019, detailing goals for achieving zero new HIV diagnoses by the year 2030.  This initiative is led by the Chicago Department of Public Health, the Illinois Department of Public Health, and AFC, and includes representatives from across the state.  This event will provide an overview of the GTZ-IL Initiative, as well as updates on GTZ-IL activities to date. One of the most substantial updates is the launch of a GTZ-IL data dashboard earlier this year, the development of which was led by CFAR investigators. The dynamic and interactive data dashboard serves to both track the progress of the initiative and allows users to customize and share detailed data on HIV trends in Chicago and Illinois. The presenters will walk participants through relevant use-cases of the dashboard, and answer questions about how this tool can support ongoing and future work. RSVP here.

By Ella Shapiro

Before Margaret Russell began her medical career as a family physician and certified HIV specialist she worked in technical theatre. While working as a stage manager, Margaret made many friends within the LGBTQ+ community. As her friendships developed, Margaret shared her intention to one day become a physician. In response, her friends told her about their past experiences with doctors, who had mistreated and stigmatized them because of their gender identity or sexual orientation. Her friends urged Margaret to become a different type of doctor, one who was an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. 

With her friends’ encouragement in mind, Margaret began her residency at Erie Family Health Centers in 2016. When the opportunity arose to follow an HIV training track, Margaret recognized it was a chance to make an even greater difference. Although not everyone who is living with HIV identifies as LGBTQ+, Margaret knew that people living with HIV can also experience stigma from medical professionals. By specializing in HIV care, Margaret felt she could improve the way all patients are treated by their doctors. Now, Margaret works with Erie’s Lending Hands for Life program, where she maintains strong, positive relationships with her patients who are living with HIV.  

“The reason I was drawn to primary care in the first place is because I really love having continuity with people,” Margaret said. “Some of my HIV patients are the patients that I’ve gotten to be there for long-term and that’s something I really love about it.”  

Margaret’s advocacy for people living with HIV does not stop when she leaves her office. Since 2017, Margaret has participated in AIDS Run & Walk Chicago, where she joins her colleagues at Erie in racing and fundraising through the annual event.  

Erie Family Health Centers is one of the more than 20 CommunityDirect partners who serve people living with HIV across the Chicagoland area. Each partner raises funds through AIDS Run & Walk Chicago and then receives 90 to 92 percent of those funds back as unrestricted funding for their organization. These funds help organizations like Erie better support people living with HIV.  

Understanding the impact of these funds, Margaret works hard every year to raise money for her team. 

“It’s become a way to both fundraise for a good cause and show solidarity and enthusiasm for the team and my patients,” Margaret said. “(It’s) something tangible and useful that I can do for them besides the work I already do as a physician.”

This year, Margaret set her highest fundraising goal yet and quickly surpassed it, an accomplishment that has a special place in Margaret’s heart because she fundraised in honor of her twin brother who recently passed away. She was touched to see that many of his loved ones made an extra effort to donate to her campaign, knowing how important this cause is to her and remembering how he always supported her efforts. 

Margaret’s fundraising campaign will remain open for donations until November 19, but on October 2 she and the rest of the Erie team were able to gather and celebrate their advocacy at the 2021 AIDS Run & Walk Chicago event. Margaret recalls how exciting it was to be at Soldier Field, surrounded by others who share her passion for supporting people living with HIV.  

“It was a beautiful day,” Margaret said. “There’s something very energizing about being there.” 

Margaret plans to continue advocating and fundraising in the future. She has seen firsthand how the money raised through AIDS Run & Walk Chicago benefits her patients living with HIV by funding support groups and assisting patients with medical and transportation expenses. Participating in AIDS Run & Walk Chicago every year has also been a wonderful reminder that she is not alone in her mission to help people living with HIV thrive.  

“My favorite thing about it is seeing this broader community come together for one purpose: to support people living with HIV,” Margaret said.  

It’s not too late to support Margaret’s mission. Click here to support people living with HIV in the Chicagoland area. 

CHICAGO — Today, AIDS Foundation Chicago (AFC) was thrilled to host a private roundtable discussion about open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act with U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, Rep. Lauren Underwood of Naperville, Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady, and other community service providers and advocates.  

Though all residents are currently able to purchase a new health insurance plan through the marketplace, today’s roundtable conversation centered the unique health access needs of people living with and disproportionately impacted by HIV, as well as other people who have special health needs.  

“While the marketplace plans do provide affordable health insurance for some folks, some of these qualified health plans fail to do so for people (living) with HIV, because (they) still allow their medications to be out of reach,” said AFC medical benefits specialist Luricela Arguello during the roundtable conversation. “Here in Illinois…many of these drugs are (set at) unaffordable rates.” 

According to the Getting to Zero Illinois Dashboard, only 68% of people diagnosed with HIV in the past five years were engaged in health care in 2019, the most recent year for which data is available. That means more than 11,000 people living with HIV in Illinois lacked access to needed health resources. This number remains so high because of systemic factors that hinder people living with HIV, including the lack of affordable and stable housing, supportive services, adequate income, health care costs and other social determinants of health.  

Today’s conversation gave AFC’s health insurance enrollers and other advocates a chance to share these barriers to health care directly with city, state and national health officials. AFC staff also had a chance to share past successes, challenges and opportunities to improve health care access moving forward. 

“Conversations like today’s are so important in making sure the needs of people living with HIV are prioritized during open enrollment season,” said AFC President/CEO John Peller. “We cannot end the HIV epidemic without ensuring each person living with HIV has health insurance and other supportive resources they need to thrive.” 

AFC staff brought a wealth of knowledge to today’s conversation informed by years of service. Each year during open enrollment, AFC’s medical benefits coordinators help Illinois residents in need of new health insurance coverage find an Affordable Care Act marketplace plan and complete the application forms before the Jan. 15 deadline. The work is vital to AFC’s efforts to end the HIV epidemic by ensuring people living with and disproportionately impacted by HIV are connected to quality health care. 

Open enrollment began Nov. 1 and ends Jan. 15. If you, a friend or a family member are interested in learning more about new health care options, please call AFC’s informational hotline at 312-784-9060 to speak with a medical benefits coordinator to set up an in-person meeting. The phone line is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  

By Ella Shapiro

Davon Lawrence’s passion for service was inspired by his mother. Raised in New Jersey, Davon grew up watching his mother work for the Salvation Army as an Intake Counselor. He saw the way that his community improved through the work she and her colleagues did by caring for others. From a young age, he knew he wanted to do the same. 

“My love language or my passion is acts of service,” Davon said. “I’ve always wanted to work in some capacity with helping people or engaging with people directly.”  

This year, Davon’s passion for service led him to AIDS Foundation Chicago (AFC) where he is the new Director of Prevention Capacity Building. In this role, Davon will collaborate with Jim Pickett, AFC’s Senior Director of Prevention Advocacy and Gay Men’s Health, and Cynthia Tucker, AFC’s Senior Vice President of Community Partnerships and Special Projects, to expand AFC’s prevention programs, create new ones and ultimately improve the lives of people living with HIV in the Chicagoland area. 

Davon’s service-driven career began in the early 2000s when he worked as an after-school program counselor and early childhood assistant teacher at the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA). After working at the YMCA for a few years, Davon was eager to expand his experience, so he moved to Atlanta, Georgia to spend the next decade working for a nonprofit that supported individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  

As Davon continued to develop professionally, he began to recognize how furthering his education would improve his ability to better support and connect to the communities he worked with. Davon began his pursuit of higher education at Argosy University where he graduated with a B.A. in Psychology and a concentration in Human Services. After that, Davon attended Grand Canyon University where he earned a Master of Public Health degree.  

While completing his master’s, Davon pursued a fellowship opportunity to work with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in opioid use prevention and harm reduction. Davon recalls this being the first time that he worked directly in public health. The experience ultimately motivated him to volunteer with AmeriCorps VISTA as an Opioid Project Resource Coordinator in Chicago. 

“I decided that I wanted to once again spread my wings and live in a different environment and expose myself to different cultures and different thoughts,” Davon said. “I lived in Georgia for 10 years, so I moved to Chicago and served in Americorps.” 

When Davon transitioned from Atlanta to Chicago, he also transitioned from having employer-sponsored health insurance to being uninsured. As he began looking for health insurance that would meet his needs, he was encouraged by his peers to apply for health insurance assistance at AIDS Foundation Chicago (AFC). At AFC, Davon was met with compassion by an attentive team. The experience left a lasting impression on him.  

“They were very person-centered,” Davon said. “There was no stigma. It was just like, ‘Come in. How can we help you? What do you need?’” 

As his time with AmeriCorps drew to a close, Davon began to look for a new job and secured a position as a Program Specialist with Texas Health and Human Services in Austin, Texas. There, he gained experience working with a state government agency and developed and rolled out multiple prevention initiatives. However, Davon’s partner was still living in Illinois, and while they were making their long-distance relationship work, Davon knew he wanted to return to the Chicago area. 

When AFC opened the position of Director of Prevention Capacity Building, Davon knew it was his opportunity to not only return to Chicago, but to also work with an organization that he respected deeply. He applied for the position and joined AFC as a staff member in August.  

“The fact that we now have another really strong individual in the department at a director level will allow us to bring some ideas forward and find some new exciting projects,” Jim said. “There’s a lot of people who are well-qualified and have skills, background and experience. Davon has those things plus he has this drive and this passion that just feels like it’s a great fit for AFC.” 

Among Davon’s projects at AFC, he is working with Jim and Cynthia on the Learning Circle Collaborative, a program that provides local Black and Latinx organizations with microgrants and capacity building assistance, and the Vida Task Force, an upcoming collaboration with Project Vida that supports Gay and Bisexual Latinx men in Chicago. 

“I’m definitely excited to see these projects evolve,” Davon said. “As we continue to scale up on these specific initiatives I really want to target and identify what other communities we can provide a greater impact to.” 

To support the work that Davon is doing at AFC, click here to make a donation today.  

By Bailey Williams

Derek wants to improve appointment availability and scheduling 

Derek Wimes, a 61-year-old Black Chicagoan, said for the most part, Illinois Medicaid has addressed all of his health needs. Although he hasn’t needed to use his insurance all that much in the more than ten years he’s had it, Derek hasn’t had a problem accessing health care when needed. For instance, Derek had Hepatitis C at one point. He was able to get an appointment for it and eventually acquire the needed medicine to cure it.  

In one incident outside of his normal ease using his insurance, Derek was denied health care to treat a bunion on his foot because he smoked cigarettes. The medical provider did not provide an explanation or any details around why smoking would be a reason that he couldn’t receive care. After that appointment, Derek struggled to find help for his foot concern. He eventually went back to his primary care doctor for another referral to a different foot specialist. 

Despite that one-time hiccup, the one thing that Derek said he’d like to see improved is appointment availability and scheduling. 

“Appointments are set too far in advance,” Derek said. “If you have a health issue, you have to wait a month to get it addressed. For instance, if I got something going on with me now, it’s not as if you can go to a local medical office (today). You’d have to go to the emergency room to address those issues.” 

Not only does appointment availability impact the speed at which a health concern can be addressed, it also increases the chances that you’d forget about the appointment and miss it as a result, Derek said.  

Outside of appointment scheduling, Derek said using Medicaid has been just fine. 

Earl wants transportation to and from appointments 

Earl Harris, a 62-year old African American Cicero resident, said he had mixed experiences with Illinois Medicaid, which has provided him health insurance for more than 10 years. On one hand, the provided insurance allowed him to undergo a spinal surgery that enabled him to walk again. 

“(Illinois Medicaid) helped me with a spinal surgery and that was a blessing for me,” Earl said. “I could hardly walk. If I didn’t have the insurance, I wouldn’t have had anything.”

Still, Earl has had several challenges with Illinois Medicaid, especially after they shifted his insurance plan from CountyCare to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois. When Earl was informed that his insurance plan was changing, he received a letter saying none of his benefits and service coverage would change. Despite this, Earl discovered that Blue Cross Blue Shield wasn’t accepted at the same providers his former plan was, including the closest hospital to him. As a result, Earl has to travel sometimes upwards of two hours on multiple forms of public transportation to visit the providers covered under his new plan. 

Earl said Illinois Medicaid should provide transportation to and from appointments. Under CountyCare, his plan said that transportation was an option, but Earl was never able to use those benefits despite calling multiple times. Ensuring transportation options would support Earl, who needs to have another spinal surgery done to support his mobility.  

In addition, Earl said he has had difficulty with the automated messaging system his insurance plan uses. When Earl has a question about his benefits or needs help finding a provider, he calls a 1-800 number provided on his insurance card. Rather than a person being on the line, Earl first talks to an automated voice that asks a variety of questions. Often, the machine asks questions faster than Earl can process them and respond. The experience is extremely frustrating and at one point led Earl to temporarily give up seeking help for the medication that he needed.

Earl said he wasn’t alone in that experience. Friends and neighbors have also given up and decided not to seek the health care they needed because of difficulties with the automated messaging. It would be helpful to have a person on the other side, rather than the automated machine, he said.

Tommie wants more health procedures covered, including necessary dental work 

Tommie Sein, a 58-year-old Black Chicagoan, said Illinois Medicaid has failed to support all of his health needs. For several years, Tommie did not receive his insurance card, which prevented him from receiving health care from many medical establishments.  

Hospitals and clinics typically use an individual’s insurance card to make sure you have active health insurance that will cover the services you are requesting. Often, the information on the card is required to book the appointment. 

In the last two years since he’s finally received his insurance card, Tommie has been able to secure appointments for needs like restoring full vision to one of his eyes. Still, that appointment was set for two months after he called seeking care. This was typical, Tommie said. 

In the eight years since he’s had health coverage through the Medicaid program, appointment availability has felt inadequate, he added. If a need arises that requires a doctor’s appointment, there are frequently no immediate appointment dates available. Instead, Tommie must wait weeks to months to get his health concerns addressed. Similarly, Tommie said medications he orders are often slow to arrive. 

Another issue Tommie found burdensome is Illinois Medicaid’s refusal to cover necessary dental work.  

As an older adult, Tommie said he needed to have teeth pulled and replaced to support his ability to eat. Tommie said his insurance will not cover the procedure, keeping needed health care out of reach. 

“Why can’t they come up with a way to cover all health treatments?” Tommie asked. “You have folks who need to have these treatments done.” 

Melissa, a Chicagoan living with HIV, feels Illinois Medicaid has met her needs

Melissa Knight, a 52-year-old Chicagoan living with HIV, said Illinois Medicaid has met most of her needs. In the more than 15 years of receiving health insurance through the program, Melissa said needed surgeries and medications have all been covered fully by the program. She has not experienced any barriers or challenges accessing services, finding doctors or scheduling appointments. She also said she has not experienced any stigma in using her benefits. Overall, the insurance program has provided all of the resources she needs to remain healthy. 

“(Illinois Medicaid) is doing really good for me,” Melissa said. “Everything I need from doctors, they pay for. All of the medications I get filled are paid for.”

The one thing Melissa would like to see improved is the types of nutritional shakes Medicaid covers. As someone who is underweight, Melissa would like her insurance plan to cover Ensure’s nutritional shakes. Under her current insurance plan, she would have to pay for that brand out of pocket, so instead, she uses a brand she doesn’t prefer. 

Joseph is satisfied with Illinois Medicaid 

Joseph Bowman, a 65-year-old African American Chicago resident, has had Illinois Medicaid for at least 30 years. In that time, he said the insurance program has met all of his health needs. He hasn’t experienced barriers or challenges in accessing services or scheduling appointments. 

“Anytime I have any medical problems or issues, I’ve always been able to get them addressed promptly,” Joseph said. 

Joseph said the program has also enabled him to get his medication consistently. He said that’s one of the most important aspects for him when it comes to health insurance coverage.  

When asked if there was anything he’d like to see improved, he said there was nothing he could think of.

If you’d like to share your experience with Illinois Medicaid through video for a chance to win a $100 gift card, click here.