Date: April 17, 1995
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Bonnie Aikman, PHS/HRSA, (301) 443-3376

$15.7 Million Awarded for AIDS Health Care Training

HHS Secretary Donna E. Shalala today announced the award of $15.7 million to AIDS Education and Training Centers to train health care workers to help prevent HIV and to counsel, diagnose, treat and manage the care of people with HIV and AIDS.

The 15 regional AIDS Education and Training Centers serve the 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

"This program provides AIDS education for more than 100,000 community health workers a year," Secretary Shalala said. "The program thus increases the number of health providers who can incorporate HIV care and prevention into their practices."

The regional centers, based in medical schools, university health centers and schools of public health, are located in cities and suburban areas with high numbers of AIDS patients. The centers are responsible for training providers in these areas as well as adjacent rural areas.

Philip R. Lee, M.D., assistant secretary for health and director of the Public Health Service, said, "This program has taken the lead in training health care workers who serve African-American and Hispanic communities, which have been disproportionately affected by the AIDS epidemic."

The program is administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration, one of eight PHS agencies within HHS.

HRSA Administrator Ciro V. Sumaya, M.D., said, "The regional centers have developed and sustained a broad-based network of providers trained in HIV care."

The awards, administered through cooperative agreements, also help fund HIV/AIDS information dissemination activities of the 15 centers. These include current data about drug trials and referrals. The awards also fund the National HIV Telephone Consultation Service (800-933-3413) and the Clinical Conference Call Series, which provide new HIV-related clinical information to primary care clinicians who treat AIDS patients.

Clinicians can obtain more information about the conference call series or register for it by faxing a request to Abe Macher, M.D., (fax no. 301-443-1719).

A list of the 15 centers and funding for FY 1995 is attached.

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