Para dia mundial contra el SIDA- Se crea un foro para la comunidad VIH+

Para su información se adjunta la información de un foro para personas con VIH que se estará realizando el 30 de noviembre como parte de las actividades relacionadas al Día Mundial de alerta contra el SIDA. Para másn información debe comunicarse al teléfono que aparece en la promoción. La petición es que puedan difundir el mensaje a las personas con VIH que participan de sus programas y/o clínicas o que conozca.

Establishment of July 2012 as National HIV Awareness Month

The Coalition for National HIV Awareness Month is hosting a telebriefing on the eve of World AIDS Day to announce the launch of National HIV Awareness Month in July 2012, when the International AIDS Conference will take place in the United States for the first time in more than 20 years.

WHAT: The Coalition for National HIV Awareness Month is announcing the establishment of July 2012 as National HIV Awareness Month. The goal of National HIV Awareness Month is to re-ignite our national discourse on the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic in order to create broad-scale public awareness of HIV/AIDS, end HIV stigma and discrimination and engage new stakeholders in the fight against the disease – with the ultimate goal of ending the epidemic.

Since the explosion of the global pandemic, many Americans have come to view HIV/AIDS as a problem solely affecting the developing world. National HIV Awareness Month will serve as a platform to re-engage civil society, the private sector, federal agencies and community organizations, who together have the potential to reach the broad swath of Americans who remain untouched by current HIV education efforts.

The Coalition is hosting a telebriefing on the eve of World AIDS Day to announce the launch of National HIV Awareness Month in July 2012, when the International AIDS Conference will take place in the United States for the first time in more than 20 years. July 2012 also marks the second anniversary of the release of the United States’ first-ever National HIV/AIDS Strategy by President Obama.

The coalition will issue a challenge to civil society and the private sector to create and invest in new and innovative awareness, testing, and public engagement initiatives that address the domestic HIV/AIDS crisis and foster a compassionate response over the course of National HIV Awareness Month.

WHEN: Wednesday, November 30, 2011; 11:00 am EST

HOW: Dial-in – 1.800.434.1335; access code – 954227#

WHO: Dawn Averitt Bridge, founder of the Coalition for National HIV Awareness Month
Mark Ishaug, president and CEO, AIDS United
Kevin Robert Frost, CEO, amfAR
Phill Wilson, founder and CEO, Black AIDS Institute
Guillermo Chacon, president, Latino Commission on AIDS
Shane Jenkins, director of HIV/AIDS programs and social efforts, Magic Johnson Foundation
Paul Kawata, executive director, National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC)
Frank J. Oldham, Jr., president and CEO, National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA)
Shalini Eddens, executive director, The Well Project
Naina Khanna, policy director at WORLD/U.S. Positive Women’s Network

RSVP: Sheryl Seapy
949.608.0841
sseapy@sbcglobal.net

Show your support to NLAAN & The Congressional HIV/AIDS Caucus

NLAAN Members and Colleagues:

As many of you may recall, the Congressional HIV/AIDS Caucus was launchedthis past September by U.S. Representatives Barbara Lee (D-CA), Jim McDermott (D-WA) and Trent Franks (R-AZ).  Thirty years after the first discovery of AIDS in the U.S., it remains one of the greatest humanitarian crises of our time.  An estimated 33.4 million people worldwide live with HIV/AIDS and more than 25 million people have died since 1981.  The Congressional HIV/AIDS Caucus was created to examine methods by which the United States can maintain global leadership in the response to the epidemic.

In commemoration of the upcoming World AIDS Day, the National Latino AIDS Action Network (NLAAN) is poised to send letters to members of Congress thanking them for their leadership and participation in the Caucus (see list below of current members of the Caucus).  Additionally, NLAAN is directing letters to members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus[i] and Congressional Hispanic Conference[ii] who have not yet joined the Congressional HIV/AIDS Caucus.  We are encouraging those members to join the Caucus and to support efforts in addressing the disproportionate burden of HIV/AIDS among Latino communities.

NLAAN is circulating these letters to get additional signatures (see attachments).  Please join us in urging members of Congress to recommitment to addressing the diverse needs of communities of color, particularly Latino communities.

If you would like to sign-on, please email Francisco Ruiz atnlaan411@gmail.com with the following information:

Contact Name

City, State

Organization Name (If applicable)

The deadline for signatures is 5pm ET Wednesday, November 30th.

Thank you for your consideration for this quick turnaround.  Please forward this letter and sign-on request to your national, state, and local networks.  In addition to signing on to these letters, we encourage our members and colleagues to send individual and/or organizational letters of gratitude or encouragement to your respective elected officials.

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In the 112th Congress, the Congressional HIV/AIDS Caucus will explore five thematic areas:

• Implementation of the US National HIV/AIDS Strategy
• Financing for Bilateral and Multilateral HIV/AIDS programs
• The state of HIV/AIDS research
• The role of Faith-Based Organizations
• The 2012 International AIDS Conference to be held in Washington, D.C.

Current members of the Congressional HIV/AIDS Caucus:

House Members:

Barbara Lee (CA); Jim McDermott (WA); Trent Franks (AZ); Madeleine Bordallo (GU); Robert Brady (PA); Michael Capuano (MA); Donna Christensen (VI); Steve Cohen (TN); John Conyers Jr. (MI); Eliot Engel (NY); Maurice Hinchey (NY); Jerold Nadler (NY); Donald Payne (NJ); Mike Quigley (IL); John Olver (MA); Charles Rangel (NY); Edolphus Towns (NY); G.K. Butterfield (NC); Elijah Cummings (MD); Albio Sires (NJ); Bill Pascrell Jr. (NJ); Janice Schakowsky (IL); Maxine Waters (CA); Bobby Rush (IL); Alcee Hastings (FL); Raúl Grijalva (AZ); Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC); Bobby Scott (VA); Karen Bass (CA); Luis Gutierrez (IL); David Cicilline (RI); John Lewis (GA); Hank Johnson (GA); Henry Waxman (CA); Hansen Clarke (MI); Judy Chu (CA); Melvin Watt (NC); Michael Honda (CA); Nancy Pelosi (CA); Bruce Braley (IA); Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL); Corrine Brown (FL); Carolyn Maloney (NY); Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL); James Himes (CT); Howard Berman (CA); Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA); Theodore Deutch (FL); Tammy Baldwin (WI); Kathy Castor (FL); Jesse Jackson, Jr. (IL); John Carter (TX); David McKinley (WV); Frederica Wilson (FL); José Serrano (NY); Linda Sanchez (CA); Charles Gonzales (TX); Jackie Speier (CA); Steven Rothman (NJ); Adam Schiff (CA); Norm Dicks (WA); Russ Carnahan (MO);  Zoe Lofgren (CA); John Sarbanes (MD); Rush Holt (NJ)

Senate Members:

John Boozman (AR); Chris Coons (DE); Johnny Isakson (GA)  

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[i] The Congressional Hispanic Caucus comprises 21 Democratic members of the United States Congress most of whom are of Hispanic origin. Founded in 1976, the Caucus is dedicated to voicing and advancing, through the legislative process, issues affecting Hispanics and Latinos in the United States and Puerto Rico.

[ii] The Congressional Hispanic Conference is a Republican Party-controlled caucus in the United States Congress. The CHC was formed in 2003, with the stated goal of promoting policy outcomes of importance to Americans of Hispanic or Latino and Portuguese descent.

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¡Gracias!

- National Latino AIDS Action Network

   Check us out!

Consistent with our mission to mobilize, educate, and advocate on behalf of our communities, NLAAN will periodically share communications and/or resources that are timely and pertinent. NLAAN will never share our member’s contact information with a third party. If you no longer wish to receive emails through our listserv, please emailnlaan411@gmail.com and include “REMOVE” in the subject line. Thank you for your partnership.

"Since I was 18 years old, I've been doing this education across the country, and I remember when I started doing it how angry I was. I remember I promised myself never to stop doing it; down to my last breath, I would continue to educate my community. Now I spend more and more time worrying about my doctor appointments. And I wonder, now, as I look around me,who is going to pick up my torch?"     - Pedro Zamora

4 attachments — Download all attachments  

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NLAAN Letter to Congressional HIV AIDS Caucus FINAL.doc 152K   View   Download

NLAAN Letter to Hispanic Caucus Non-HIV Caucus Members FINAL.doc 152K   View   Download

NLAAN Letter to Hispanic Conference Non-HIV Caucus Members FINAL.doc 152K   View   Download

Action Alert from the National Coalition for LGBT Health

Hello everyone,
The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services has scheduled four additional listening sessions (below) on developing a set of 2012 recommendations related to health and human service issues affecting LGBT individuals and families. 

These sessions present a great opportunity to impact the health and well-being of LGBTQ individuals and families through our participation in the listening sessions.  To ensure that our community is well-represented at the hearings, here are a few things you can do.

·   Attend the meeting, and share your thoughts on what HHS should do to support LGBT individuals and families.  Although the topics in the attachments is a good starting point, HHS would like to hear your recommendations based on your experiences as community members and service providers living in your area.

·   Share the information about the listening session throughout your networks, and encourage people to attend.  In this particular case, the number of people who show up matters a great deal.

·   If you are not able to participate in eitherlistening session, send your written recommendations to the HHS office in the region in which you reside. You can determine your regional office by viewing this map.

Although HHS hears from the Coalition and other national LGBT advocacy organizations, department officials would like to hear recommendations from people living in your area. Please call or email any of the staff of the Coalition if you have any questions.  Our office number is (202) 558-6828 and the general email address is coalition@lgbthealth.net. Also, if you decide to submit written comments or give oral testimony during the hearing, let us know so the Coalition and its advocacy partners can include your recommendations in our future conversation with HHS.

Thank you for everything that you do to advance the health and well-being of LGBT people.

Additional HHS Regional LGBT Listening Schedule:

Milwaukee, WI
Monday, November 28, 2011
5:30pm – 7:00pm
Milwaukee LGBT Community Center
252 E. Highland Avenue, Milwaukee, WI
(414) 271-2656
RSVP: mcage@mkelgbt.org

Phoenix, AZ
Thursday, December 1, 2011
11:00am – 1:00pm
Arizona State University – Historic Post Office
522 N. Central Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85007
RSVP: Region9ORD@hhs.gov

Philadelphia, PA
Friday, December 2, 2011
10:00am – 12:00pm
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Public Ledger Building
150 S. Independence Mall West
Conference Room 415
Philadelphia, PA 19106
RSVP: aryanna.abouzari@hhs.gov by November 30^th

Atlanta, GA
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
1:00pm
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Center
61 Forsyth St SW, 2^nd Floor
Atlanta, GA  30303
RSVP: Ordatlanta@hhs.gov

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Latinos- AIDS 2012 Brown Bag Series: Getting to AIDS 2012

AIDS 2012 Brown Bag Series: Getting to AIDS 2012

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Meeting Description:

The National Latino AIDS Action Network (NLAAN), in collaboration with partner organizations, invites you to take part in the upcoming webinar titled, “Getting to AIDS 2012.”  The webinar will highlight scholarship and volunteer opportunities for AIDS 2012 as well as provide some successful examples on how to raise resources to attend the XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012) being held July 22-27, 2012 in Washington, DC. 

The U.S. Positive Women’s Network (PWN) will share information regarding an online fundraising tool that will enable individuals to create a personalized web page to share with family, friends and colleagues.  PWN will also briefly overview a guidebook to help people create a fundraising strategy to meet individual and/or organizational financial goals to attend AIDS 2012.

 

Title: Getting to AIDS 2012

Date: December 8, 2011        

Time: 9:00 am PT  /  12:00 pm ET

This webinar is part of NLAAN’s AIDS 2012 Brown Bag Webinar Series, a nine-month capacity building and mobilization initiative that seeks to increase knowledge of, capacity for, and participation of communities of color at AIDS 2012. For a schedule of webinars, please visit www.facebook.com/NLAAN or email nlaan411@gmail.com.

Register now

Mental health care provider criticized

BY INTER NEWS SERVICE

The Mental Health Alliance expressed disappointment because the company contracted by the government to offer services to mental health patients, APS Healthcare of Puerto Rico, “has excessive earnings” from offering “bad services” while noting the federal Health Department is investigating the company for those same allegations.   

Mental Health Alliance spokesperson Sylvia Haya said in a radio interview Thursday “that they’re creating the illusion that good service is being offered when they really aren’t.”

She said that some 135,000 to 136,000 patients are supposed to receive medical services with a budget if $124 million, but according to Mental Health Alliance numbers, APS only spends $20 million on medications and $40 million for outpatient services.

“I think they have excessive earnings … but horrible services,” Haya said adding that the alliance has tried to meet with Health Secretary Lorenzo González and Gov. Fortuño all to no avail.

However, Haya noted that both the Justice Department and the Health Ombudsman are evaluating the situation.

In addition, she said that federal agencies such as Centers for Medicare Medicaid Services, and the federal Health Department, “the ones that look after the services offered to Medicaid and Medicare patients,” have reached out to the Mental Health Alliance asking for the information and documents that prove the lack of services and excessive spending.

 “They are looking at this actively and we hope this will produce results,” Haya said.

Meanwhile, late Wednesday night, the General Workers Union rejected the final offer made by the Medical Services Administration regarding their collective bargaining agreement.

The salary-related offers made, such as the bonus for signing the collective bargaining agreement to compensate retroactively for the time the negotiations took place after the agreement expired, were less than what the workers' negotiating committee expected, the union said in a written statement.

As part of the administration’s offer, the negotiations of all the economic clauses for the third and fourth year of the agreement will be reevaluated on Jan. 2013, the General Workers Union said.

Rejecting the administration’s offer implies that the union’s negotiating committee will be evaluating the course of action they will take next within the next few days.

The General Workers Union called on the government to prioritize the important role the Río Piedras Medical Center represents, considered to be the frontier between life and death, before the crisis being faced by the Mi Salud government health plan.

Medical Services Administration workers will be holding a protest Nov. 16 at 11 a.m. in front of the Health Secretary’s office building. Union workers that work at the Río Piedras Medical Center will join the protest as well, the union stated.

http://www.prdailysun.com/news/Mental-health-care-provider-criticized

Pacientes de sida sugieren protestas de desobediencia civil

http://www.elnuevodia.com/pacientesdesidasugierenprotestasdedesobedienciacivil-1111518.html

Cambios en Mi Salud los forzaría a manifestaciones al estilo de “Ocupa a Wall Street”

 

Por Gerardo Cordero

Ocupar las instalaciones de salud, al estilo de los indignados de Wall Street, es la forma de protesta sugerida por el portavoz del grupo Pacientes de Sida pro Política Sana, José F. Colón, de frenarse la entrega de medicamentos cruciales debido a los cambios en el plan de salud del gobierno.

El planteamiento de Colón surge ante el malestar de diversos pacientes por escollos experimentados ante los cambios durante el traspaso de Mi Salud a la aseguradora Triple S.

Colón dijo a El Nuevo Día que la situación refleja “mala administración” y “mentiras” por parte del Departamento de Salud y su directivo, Lorenzo González.

El portavoz de Pacientes de Sida pro Política Sana insistió además en la necesidad de una reestructuración de ASES, debido a las deficiencias sistemáticas que entienden registra esa agencia.

“Debería contemplarse una reestructuración total de esta dependencia por sus fallas frecuentes, las cuales afectan lacalidad de servicios a pacientes afectados muchas veces por la ansiedad y la falta de seguridad que dichos fallos causan”, sostuvo.

“Por esto es hora de ocupar las diferentes salas donde se brinden servicios a los pacientes afectados por sí mismos y por familiares afectados por este proceso el cual, de haberse hecho con mesura y tiempo no tendría que llegar a los niveles en los cuales se encuentra”, agregó.

La inquietud de Colón coincide con pacientes de sida que solicitaron anonimato y se comunicaron con El Nuevo Día para denunciar su temor de que la entrega de medicamentos clave para sus tratamientos quede paralizada en medio de esta transición.

Una de las pacientes anticipó que ya el despacho de sus fármacos está paralizada y se encuentra en espera para poder recibirlos. 

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Thank you, Gracias,