N.J. MAYOR SWEARS IN REGIONAL HIV COUNCIL
31-MEMBER COUNCIL WILL ADDRESS CARE FOR HIV- AND AIDS-POPULATIONS
US Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources & Services Administration authorizes
the City of Newark to serve as the Grantee for the Newark Eligible Metropolitan Area;
Federally-mandated board will focus on health care and treatment services for people living with
or affected by HIV/AIDS in Essex, Morris, Sussex, Union, and Warren Counties
Newark, NJ - - Mayor Cory A. Booker, Child and Family Well-Being Director Maria E. Vizcarrondo, and other dignitaries swore in the 31 members of the Newark Eligible Metropolitan Area Health Services Planning Council at a Municipal Council Chamber ceremony, in City Hall, this afternoon.
This 31-member council, mandated by the federal government and the Ryan White Act of 1990, will plan for the development, implementation, and continual improvement of the health care and treatment services for People Living With and Affected by HIV/AIDS who reside in the five New Jersey counties of Essex, Morris, Sussex, Union, and Warren. Planning Council. Sub-committee meetings are held monthly at their North Ward office, located on 315 North 6th Street.
“Newark is committed to the members of the community suffering from HIV/AIDS,” said Mayor Cory A. Booker. “With the swearing-in of this Council, residents of this City are continuing to help the sick and marginalized in society. The Newark community manifests the power and strength that results when individuals come together for a greater good.”
The Council’s membership is structured to ensure adequate representation of the five counties of the Newark Eligible Metropolitan Area, which includes infected and affected populations, consumers of Ryan White services, care providers, state and federal agencies, incarcerated or formerly incarcerated people living with HIV, non-elected community leaders, and representatives from other Ryan White Parts. Membership is reflective in its composition to the demographics of the people infected by HIV and AIDS in the Newark EMA.
“The activities and deliberations of the Planning Council are structured to accomplish its mission in collaboration with the City of Newark. Through the Department of Child and Family Well-Being, the City is represented on both the Planning Council and the Executive Committee of the Planning Council,” Director Vizcarrondo said. “By working together, both the Council and the City of Newark, as the Grantee, will strive to provide quality services for people living with HIV and AIDS in the Newark EMA.”
The US Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources & Services Administration authorizes the City of Newark to serve as the Grantee for the Newark Eligible Metropolitan Area because Newark are the most impacted and Newark provide the largest array of outpatient, ambulatory, and social services. The Mayor of the City is the Chief Elected Official (CEO) for the Newark EMA and designates day-to-day management of the grant to the Department of Child and Family Well-Being’s Ryan White Unit. The Ryan White Grant Program, which serves Essex, Morris, Union, Sussex and Warren Counties, provides care to an average of 6,500 People Living With HIV and AIDS (PLWHA) each year, which is about 51 percent of the EMA’s infected population (13,218 as of December 31, 2008). Close to half of the EMA’s PLWHA (46 percent) reside and receive HIV/AIDS care and treatment in the City of Newark.
The Newark EMA’s Planning Council is the planning body for the Ryan White Grant Program. They plan and set priorities for the allocation of Ryan White funds by conducting a needs assessments of the population, developing a comprehensive health plan, and making final recommendations regarding the coordination of services in order to fill gaps in care. In return, the Grantee uses the recommendations of the Council to distribute funds and administer the program.
Dwight E. Peavy, Executive Director, Newark EMA Health Service Planning Council, stated: “The mission of the Newark EMA Health Service Planning Council is to develop and implement the continuum of care and treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS. The Newark Planning Council serves as a model around the country for getting HIV/AIDS services to the people who need it the most. Through the trust and investment of the City of Newark, this community will enable us to stand as the epicenter for providing support for people with HIV/AIDS.”
Planning Council members are selected and approved by Mayor Booker and serve at his will. They comprise of service providers, consumers, advocates, and administrators of HIV policies and procedures. Committee membership and regional representation reflects HIV prevalence within the Newark EMA, which is 86 percent minority.
Maria Irizarry, Vice-Chair of the Newark EMA Health Services Planning Council, said: “This program is the result of what can happen when a community, city government, and public health administrators come together to serve the sick in society. The Planning Council represents community input and brings needed services to light in Newark’s government. The City of Newark has supported our efforts in growing our program to serve as an excellent example of a model program for public health.”
Newark is one of a few municipalities nationwide that provides uninsured City residents access to affordable, quality healthcare. Extensive services include but are not limited to pediatric care, an adult medical practice, communicable disease control and prevention, a dental clinic, a LEAD prevention program that provides a continuum of care including inspections, abatements, case management and interim housing, health care for the homeless, and a WIC program. These services are largely supported by local, state and federal funding including philanthropic organizations, such as the world-renowned Kresge Foundation, which has contributed $1.5 million in funding to support the City of Newark’s ‘Getting the Lead Out’ initiative.
For more information about all City of Newark programs and policies, contact the City’s Non-Emergency Call Center at (973) 733-4311.
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With a new Administration as of July 2006, Newark continues to see signs of a strong revival. In population, it is one of the fastest growing cities in the northeast. Its six major colleges and universities are further expanding their presence. The production of affordable housing has doubled, businesses are returning and crime is going down. There is still much work to be done but Newark is on its way to achieving its mission: to set a national standard for urban transformation.
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LIST OF HIV COUNCIL MEMBERS
Name Representing and community
Borys Abulevsko Affected communities, including individuals with HIV or AIDS, Elizabeth
Janice Adams-Jarrells Affected communities, including individuals with HIV or AIDS, Newark
Ketlen Alsbrook City of Newark Department of Child and Family Well-Being Ryan White Unit
Robert Armstrong Non-elected community leader, Morristown
Cuthbert Ashby North Jersey AIDS Alliance, Newark
Wali Bradley Affected communities, including individuals with HIV or AIDS, Irvington
James Carrington Affected communities, including individuals with HIV or AIDS, Newark
Brenda Christian UMDNJ CCOE Division of AIDS Education, Newark
Kendall Clark Affected communities, including individuals with HIV or AIDS, Newark
Javon Daniels Affected communities, including individuals with HIV or AIDS, East Orange
Franckel Denize Affected communities, including individuals with HIV or AIDS, East Orange
Deloris Dockrey Hyacinth AIDS Foundation, Social Service Provider, New Brunswick
Michael Folger Affected communities, including individuals with HIV or AIDS, Newark
Michel Graham-Anderson St. Michael’s Medical Center Peter Ho Clinic, Newark
Carmine Grasso New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services Division of HIV/AIDS Services
Brenda Haggard Affected communities, including individuals with HIV or AIDS, Orange
Maria D. Irizarry Catholic Health and Human Services, Newark
Dr. Robert L. Johnson UMDNJ - Office of the Dean, Newark
Dr. Glenda Kirkland Isaiah House, Social service provider, East Orange
Jason-Cristofe Marcello Representing AIDS service organizations, Belleville
Shanon Mettlen Union County Department of Human Services, Elizabeth
Patricia Moore Non-elected community leader, West Orange
Elena M. Perez Non-elected community leader, Newark
Julio (Angel) Reyes Affected communities, including individuals with HIV or AIDS, Newark
Kelley Rooney Catholic Charities, East Cranford
Diane Sibernagel Hope House, Dover
Dr. Stephen Smith St. Michael’s Medical Center, Newark
Walter Tanks Representing formerly incarcerated people living with HIV/AIDS, Irvington
William Wheeler, Jr. Affected communities, including individuals with HIV or AIDS, Union
Bryn N. Whittle, Esq. CBOs serving affected populations, East Orange
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