Michelle wants you to know her name.
She’s proud of it, empowered by it, and she identifies with its deep history.
We can’t publish her last name for confidentiality purposes; however, her enthusiasm is sincere. In fact, she recently spoke at a 100,000 Homes Campaign celebration, sharing her name, her past, and her goals with a large audience over lunch. Michelle...
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John Peller is a perfect 10 for 10.
As the AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) celebrates its tenth year of fighting HIV/AIDS with endurance sports, Peller is doing the same.
He joined the National AIDS Marathon Training Program in 2003 to prepare for his first marathon. Athletics had never been his forte in high school or college, but the urge to run 26.2 miles constantly...
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A bill for comprehensive sexual health education in Illinois (HB 2675) moved out of House Human Services committee on March 13 by a vote of 9-6 and awaits a full House vote.
The AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) is part of a statewide partnership that has been advocating heavily for this legislation for four years.
“We’ve lobbied on it, engaged lawmakers, written...
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The AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) submitted on March 27, 2013 comments to the Illinois Department of Insurance (DOI) on the standards insurance plans must meet to be included on the Illinois Health Insurance Marketplace.
The marketplace (also known as the exchange) will be an interactive website that will allow individuals and small businesses to purchase more affordable private health...
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Individuals with HIV/AIDS, as well as other vulnerable people, will have an easier time accessing health care in the coming months as a result of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the national health reform law.
But linking them with coverage will be a challenge.
“Essentially, people just don’t know the Illinois Health Insurance Marketplace is here,” quipped...
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A recent arrest under an antiquated Illinois HIV criminalization law challenges how media handle sensitive information when stigma and livelihood are at stake.
The facts of this case are limited:
The individual who filed the complaint was “a 24-year-old man,” according to a press release from the Cook County Sheriff’s Office.
The alleged aggressor,...
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The phrase “patient-centered medical home” has become a buzz word in the field of healthcare, creating competing ideas about what it means.
Some providers assume that comprehensive medical services under one roof constitutes a patient-center medical home (PCMH), while others focus more on patients’ requests without the infrastructure to support this model of care....
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HIV/AIDS advocates from across the United States gathered in Washington D.C. this past February to partake in AIDSWatch 2013, the nation’s largest annual constituent-based federal advocacy event. Thanks to the Treatment Access Expansion Project and AIDS United, it was an invigorating two days. In total there were 200 legislative meetings and 170 attendees!
The AIDS Foundation...
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Leaders from Illinois Department of Public Health on March 11, 2013 provided an update on proposed FY 14 state funding for IDPH and the funding outlook for HIV programs.
Overall, the news was mixed. While state general revenue funding for HIV programs has declined significantly over the past three years, IDPH has obtained new sources of state funding, such as the Quality of Life Lottery...
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For disadvantaged people with HIV, the road to health and recovery can be a slow and difficult process. For those who persevere—aided by their own determination and accessible, available vital services—a better future awaits.
Consider the path of Carlos (not his real name). He suffered homelessness, drug addiction and alcoholism. To treat his mental and physical illnesses,...
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