Care and prevention24 services. So you have clinical25 253 10/27/10 - PUBLIC HEALTH - RES. 1005651 providers, community-based organizations,2 you know.3
That care4 for patients, and then there are the5 prevention programs.6
Got it.7 And so all of those meet quarterly, and8 then minutes are taken, I imagine, and9 shared with the entire composition of10 that coalition group so that folks are11 always -- I'm trying to -- is there a12 formal process? Because that then just13 helps minimize one other hurdle or14 criticism that any organization might15 get. To the extent that you can keep16 your constituents informed, it just helps17 in keeping the thread, the glue stuck18 with all of those who care about it.19
We don't take20 minutes at our Directors Forum, but we do21 disseminate information that is generated22 in those meetings. For consumer23 constituents, we have our Ryan White24 Planning Council, as well as our25 254 10/27/10 - PUBLIC HEALTH - RES. 1005651 Community Planning group that looks at2 prevention services and is made up of3 providers and consumers representative of4 the community, and they're open and5 welcome to anyone who is interested in6 that information. There's also a website7 for that for people to go on it, but8 there's plenty of literature about that.9
Again, with this12 here testimony, it's like -- I think it13 needs to just be put out there, that14 because of the progress with15 antiretrovirals, people are living long16 with the virus. They're an aging17 population. So I think some of the18 urgency has left in that regard, because19 people are living longer. Twenty, 2520 years ago people contracted HIV, they21 died right away. They lived a year, two22 years. Now people are living 25, 30, 3523 years on with quality of life because of24 these antiretrovirals, and that is a25 255 10/27/10 - PUBLIC HEALTH - RES. 1005651 success, but it's not a cure and we still2 need to do more. But I think it's lost3 some of that sense of urgency because4 it's moved from being an acute disease to5 a chronic illness. 8 I'm appreciative of our Mayor,9 who actually raised a flag that brought10 awareness this month of October. In my11 history, I have not seen that done12 starting from the top down. So I applaud13 that effort. And that the Mayor has been14 very much involved, having a liaison,15 Gloria Casarez, who works with our16 community organizations and very closely17 with AACO. We're very responsive to City18 Council when they have requests. We have19 worked very closely with Councilwoman20 Blackwell on the housing issue. The21 Commissioner, myself and Chief of Staff22 have met with Act Up to address these23 concerns. And certainly it is a housing24 problem, but, again, it's all of the25 256 10/27/10 - PUBLIC HEALTH - RES. 1005651 above. 12 AACO doesn't control that. 19 But we are going to take these20 recommendations seriously and try to see21 where, with our planning grant, where we22 implement some of these here things. We23 know that some of the interventions don't24 work. Part of that concern is is that we25 257 10/27/10 - PUBLIC HEALTH - RES. 1005651 receive our prevention funding largely2 through the Center for Disease Control,3 who has implemented the compendium of4 effective behavioral interventions. And,5 no, they don't work. There is not a one6 size fits all, but when we receive their7 funding, we're told that we have to8 select these here canned interventions in9 order to use their funds because they're10 evidence based. We do tell our providers11 if they have interventions that are not a12 part of that compendium, that they can13 bring them to AACO. 25 258 10/27/10 - PUBLIC HEALTH - RES. 1005651 We have several organizations located in2 Center City, but as the testimony you've3 heard, these organizations aren't just4 sitting in their offices. They are out5 in the community. And what we do find is6 is that, yes, you should have services in7 most of the areas, but a lot of times8 because of that stigma, people do not9 want to go in their neighborhood, because10 they don't want their neighbors or people11 that they may run into to know that12 they're going for HIV care services. 17 So I want that known, that we18 do have providers all over the City and19 they are trying to outreach to different20 communities. And we've done a lot of21 work, but, yes, there is a lot of work to22 be done, and I recognize that and I23 welcome this Committee and the follow-up24 actions that are going to come out of25 259 10/27/10 - PUBLIC HEALTH - RES. )4
I just want to12 end this as a person living with HIV who13 has stayed this entire meeting, that I14 just wanted to thank everybody for coming15 out and supporting community health for16 the City of Philadelphia. And I just17 need to say that AACO has been very18 accessible to me. I've made it my19 business to report to AACO all the work20 that I do, not just in this country but21 around the world. I just spoke at the22 International AIDS Conference in Vienna.23 I closed the conference and welcomed24 everybody to the United States, where the25 260 10/27/10 - PUBLIC HEALTH - RES. 1005651 next International AIDS Conference will2 be held here in Washington, DC in 2012.3 I let AACO know what I'm doing.4 I think it's up to agencies to let AACO5 know so that we can collaborate.6 Sometimes we have to like reach down to7 reach up.8 So I just wanted to say that,9 and I just wanted to also say that the10 President has a National AIDS Strategy.11 The framework is already there. And what12 we're doing here today is exactly what13 we're supposed to be doing as a city,14 because the National AIDS Strategy is not15 going to happen in a vacuum. It's not16 going to happen in a vacuum. The mandate17 comes from on high, but we have to do the18 work on low.19 So I really want to just thank20 everybody for coming out, and I also want21 to be a part of whatever happens in the22 City of Philadelphia for HIV and AIDS.23
Thank you.24 I think that -- I appreciate your25 261 10/27/10 - PUBLIC HEALTH - RES. 1005651 testimony. I appreciate your being2 involved, and certainly this issue has3 been dealt with in-depth by Senator4 Hughes. So I think it's as we move5 forward -- because I don't want to get6 into silos. We want to look at what is7 it that we could do and everybody that's8 doing it, let's just kind of sit down and9 figure out how we can work it out10 together. I certainly will have a11 conversation with him, but certainly you12 all came to us, because the City does the13 funding, and we're the City Council that14 works with -- that the Health Department15 does have legislative responsibility to.16 So as we think about what we17 do, it won't be my thoughts, it will be18 through looking at the notes of19 testimony, reaching out to some of you to20 ask you what do you think the next steps21 should be, and then kind of pulling22 together a group of people just to talk23 about what -- should we have next steps24 or what would those steps be in terms of25 262 10/27/10 - PUBLIC HEALTH - RES. 1005651 collectively working out a collaborative2 way of working, a better way of working.3 And it may be working fine. I mean, we4 all have testimony, we all have our5 thoughts about what's going on, but let's6 just kind of further explore.7 So I wanted to say that this is8 the hearing, but it's not the end of the9 process, because I think it's very, very10 important. I can't believe I'm here 2011 years later still talking about this, but12 it was very -- it was a crisis issue when13 I came into Council. I mean, we were14 just dealing with all the groups and15 trying to find funding, who is going to16 get the funding, who is going to control17 the funding. That was the whole debate18 back in the late '80s, early '90s.19
Councilman22 Ortiz is not here, but he was Chair of23 the Public Health and Human Services24 Committee and was on the forefront of25 263 10/27/10 - PUBLIC HEALTH - RES. 1005651 bringing the issue and --2
-- as a result of6 there being a disproportionate amount7 of --8
Funding,9 yeah. So those issues we dealt with.10 And then it kind of like, well, you know,11 people are out there working and so we go12 on to other things we have to deal with.13 But certainly I'm glad that we14 had this hearing today. Thank you all15 for coming. Thank you for staying. I16 don't know who these ladies are.17 Are you with the Health18 Department?19
Oh, okay.22 So they've been here listening all day23 long.24
And this2 lady back here.3 Thanks so much. I also4 certainly appreciate all the work you do,5 and you've been hanging in there a lot6 with YOACAP. You know I love you all and7 have a great --8
That's11 right.12 So thank you all again and have13 a wonderful holiday.14 We will adjourn to the call of15 the Chair. So that means we don't have16 to issue a new call. We can just17 schedule the meeting and come back again18 without a new resolution.19 (Committee on Public Health and20 Human Services adjourned at 2:20 p.m.)21 - - -22 23 24 25 265 1 CERTIFICATE2 I HEREBY CERTIFY that the3 proceedings, evidence and objections are4 contained fully and accurately in the5 stenographic notes taken by me upon the6 foregoing matter on October 27, 2010, and that7 this is a true and correct transcript of same.8 9 10 11 12 13 --------------------14 MICHELE L. MURPHY15 RPR-Notary Public16 17 18 19 (The foregoing certification of this20 transcript does not apply to any reproduction21 of the same by any means, unless under the22 direct control and/or supervision of the23 certifying reporter.)24 25