BUT we are also now showing a wait list of under 700 persons.  That’s great news.

YET we remain number one in the country of the now 8 states with waiting lists.  We MUST do better, and I know that the front line staff at VDH are working on that.  In the meantime, we MUST maintain a push to help insure that EVERYONE in Virginia that needs help accessing HIV medications can get them.  EVERYONE!

Stay vigilant with your advocacy and we’ll get there!

Sue

And Second, The Really Good News!

An additional $250,000 in state general funds has been added to the ADAP funding.  That funding, along with some 1-time federal funding coming to the state through Northern Virginia, adds over $850,000 to the ADAP funding in the 2012-2013 year.

That’s great news!  But will it be enough to eliminate the ADAP waiting list?  Only time will tell that.

What about the 2013-2014 year?  The additional funds are not included, so we will need to advocate for that money to be allocated in the 2013 General Assembly Session.

But for now, this is great news!

There are members of the General Assembly that deserve special thanks from us all!   On the budget conference committee, we should all be thanking Senator Janet Howell and Senator Emmett Hanger; and Delegate Chris Jones and Delegate Steve Landes.  Those four legislators in particular are the key members who worked out the agreement in the area of the budget that included the ADAP funding.  They made sure that additional state funding would be included.

Click on the links above and you can personally thank each one.  Please do that.  And don’t hesitate to tell them how important that extra funding will be.

Our Thanks to You, too!!

Sue

Ask your Delegate and Senator to support the Senate’s addition of $500,000 for ADAP to eliminate the waiting list.  Seriously … Your calls CAN make a difference … especially while the Delegates and Senators are back home from Richmond.

Want more info?  Email me or tweet to @VORAonline

Sue

And we are all waiting to see if the Senate Committee ‘reports’ out a budget bill today.

If that happens (and it should), then next step is getting the bill passed the Senate floor. That would require 21 votes to pass.  Not sure about that yet …

Anyway, after the Senate passes a budget bill (it will – just don’t know when), and that bill moves into Conference, then the decision must be made about the $500,000 more for ADAP to be awarded.

Have you read the paper lately and noticed how advocacy makes change!?!?  It really does work!!

So please … For yourself … for your friends and family … For your clients … please call your delegate and senator today and ask them to contact the conference committee members to SUPPORT the budget amendment for ADAP funding.

Advocacy works!  

Please – call today!

It’s your money.

But if they don’t hear from us — if this wheel doesn’t squeak — we have no one to blame but ourselves …….

PLEASE — call YOUR Delegate and YOUR Senator — and ask them to support these two budget amendments …

This is the “inside” information they need — Support Budget Item 293 #1h and #1s — for $1 million more to the Virginia Department of Health to support HIV medicines.

I’m attaching two documents that we used on AIDS Awareness Day — You can use these to garner your own talking points –

Or just plain tell your own story — Why do YOU know that the extra $1 million will eliminate Virginia’s current waiting list?

And why is that money so important for both Treatment AND Prevention!

Please — let me know that you have called.  It feels very lonely here sometimes when I don’t hear back from you.

But most important — Please — call today — Right Now.

Thank you
Sue
Science Breakthrough of the Year

Why $1 million More is Needed for HIV Medicines

Please — make your calls today — Just 2 calls –
Call your Delegate and your Senator –

Ask them to support Budget Amendments to Item 293.

That’s all it takes –

With that extra funding — added to the other state and federal funds already at VDH –
We can eliminate the waiting list, get HIV medicines to everyone who qualifies, and actually REDUCE the number of new HIV cases in Virginia.

Please —  Make your calls today —

Thanks
Sue

P.S.  Need more info?   Email me

The weather is going to be great!! And building is very close to the General Assembly Building.

Every year the Virginia General Assembly holds hearings “to hear from the public” on what services should be funded in the new Biennial Budget.  Today we are reading the Governor’s Proposed Biennial Budget to learn if there are any new funds to eliminate the ADAP waiting list.  So far, doesn’t look like it … in fact, I’m a bit concerned … could there be less ??

Plan to attend any one of these hearings to tell our legislators why HIV medications must be available to every PLWH in this state.

• THURSDAY, JANUARY  5, 2012 (Hearing begins at 10:00 a.m.)

• Big Stone Gap (directions)
  Mountain Empire Community College, Philip Taylor Hall, Goodloe Center

• FRIDAY, JANUARY  6, 2012
  (Hearing begins at 10:00 a.m.)

• Fairfax County (directions)
  George Mason University, Fairfax Campus, Johnson Center, Dewberry Hall

• FRIDAY, JANUARY  6, 2012
  (Hearings begin at 12:00 noon)

• Newport News (directions)
  Christopher Newport University, Ferguson Center, Music and Theater Hall

• Lexington (directions)
  Virginia Military Institute, Marshall Center for Leadership and Ethics, Hall of Valor

• Richmond (directions)
  Medical College of Virginia, Larrick Student Center, 900 Turpin Street