As the 2024 National Ryan White Conference on HIV Care and Treatment (2024 NRWC) got underway yesterday, HIV.gov spoke with Laura Cheever, MD, ScM, about the conference and the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program’s 2030 vision and also with Michael Kharfen about empowering communities, one of the conference’s themes. Dr. Cheever is the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Associate Administrator for the HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB), which administers the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program. Michael is the Director of HAB’s Division of Policy and Data.
Dr. Cheever Discusses the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program 2030 Vision
Dr. Cheever spoke with LCDR Tanya Grandison, MPH, of HAB’s Office of Operations and Management and one of the three 2024 NRWC executive co-leads. She shared that she and her HAB colleagues are excited to be gathered for the conference once again, and that over 8,000 people registered to participate in the hybrid conference that is taking place in person in Washington, DC, and online. Dr. Cheever also discussed the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program 2030 vision, which focuses on reaching and engaging the estimated 220,000 people with diagnosed HIV who are not in care so that they can receive the benefits of HIV care and treatment, live a longer and healthier life, and prevent transmitting HIV to their sexual partners. Throughout the conference, Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program recipients, providers, and partners will be sharing lessons, tools, and insights to help each other meet this challenge. View Dr. Cheever and LCDR Grandison’s conversation below to learn more:
LCDR Grandison also spoker with her colleague Michael Kharfen and Kahlib Barton, Chief Program Officer of True Colors UnitedExit Disclaimer, an organization that implements innovative solutions to youth homelessness that focus on the unique experiences of LGBTQ+ young people. Michael began by discussing the vital role of community empowerment in the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program now and throughout its 34-year history. Then Kahlib and Michael discussed a conference plenary session focused on empowering communities at which they will be speaking. Their session will discuss including people with lived experience in designing and delivering services as well as developing solutions to challenges, with an emphasis on how to retain people currently receiving HIV care services while also working to engage people with HIV who are not currently in care to realize the Ryan White 2030 vision. View their conversation below to learn more:
HRSA’s HIV/AIDS Bureau hosts the National Ryan White Conference every two years to deliver program and policy updates, share innovative HIV interventions, and provide training and technical assistance. This biennial event provides a forum to share best practices and innovative strategies that empower participants and their communities to continue implementing a national response to reduce HIV-related health disparities and end the HIV epidemic in the United States. Participants include Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program recipients and subrecipients; federal, national, state, and local partners and organizations; health care and service delivery providers; and people with HIV.
