FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: September 29, 2016
CONTACT: Christina Adeleke, NC AIDS Action Network, christina@ncaan.org, (305) 588-4373
NC AIDS Action Network Named ADAP Community Organization of the Year
ADAP Advocacy Association Selects the NC HIV/AIDS Advocacy Organization as one of its ADAP Leadership Award Honorees
Raleigh, NC — The ADAP Advocacy Association, also known as aaa+® , presented the NC AIDS Action Network with the ADAP Community Organization of the Year award on September 24th in Washington, D.C. for their leadership and success in driving legislative and policy reforms for people living with HIV/AIDS in North Carolina. The NC AIDS Action Network works to improve the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS and affected communities through outreach and public education, policy advocacy, and community building to increase visibility and mutual support of people living with HIV/AIDS throughout the state of North Carolina.
The NC AIDS Action Network was selected from a large group of organizations from across the country as the ADAP Community Organization of the Year award as a result of their advocacy efforts with the NC General Assembly in expanding the state’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program to allow the program to use funds to help clients purchase health insurance through premium and cost-sharing assistance. Studies have shown that premium assistance programs lead to better health outcomes and better viral suppression rates for patients. When someone is virally suppressed, it means that they have very low levels of HIV in their body, significantly reducing the risk of transmitting HIV to another person. Moving ADAP clients onto health insurance programs will help them access important health services to manage other health needs that are currently out of reach for many.
The ADAP Advocacy Association’s mission is to promote and enhance the AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs) and improve access to care for persons living with HIV/AIDS. The ADAP Advocacy Association works with advocates, community, health care, government, patients, pharmaceutical companies and other stakeholders to raise awareness, offer patient educational programs and foster greater community collaboration. The ADAP Community Organization of the Year award is one of the 2015-2016 ADAP Leadership Awards, which recognizes individual, community, government, media and corporate leaders who are working to improve access to care and treatment under the AIDS Drug Assistance Programs.
“Our annual awards recognizes individual, community, government, media and corporate leaders who are working to improve access to care and treatment under the AIDS Drug Assistance Program, says Brandon M. Macsata, CEO of ADAP Advocacy Association. “What was achieved by the North Carolina AIDS Action Network with the passage of ADAP premium assistance in the state embodies the spirit of the awards.”
The ADAP Advocacy Association hosted its 6th Annual ADAP Leadership Awards Dinner on Saturday, September 24th at 7:00 pm in Washington, DC. The dinner was held in conjunction with its 9th Annual Conference, held at the Westin Georgetown on September 23-24, 2016. Lee Storrow, Executive Director of the NC AIDS Action Network, attended the dinner and accepted the award on the organization’s behalf. “It’s an honor to be recognized for our work in North Carolina. I share this award with our entire team and the hundreds of activists across our state who stand up every day for access to healthcare for those living with HIV.”
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