PRESS RELEASES
PRESS RELEASES
Here’s the latest from our agency.
CAP Celebrates Opening of Second Prism Health Clinic
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Portland, OR – Cascade AIDS Project (CAP) is excited to announce the grand opening of its second Prism Health clinic in the historic Eliot neighborhood at 15 N Morris St., Portland, OR. The event, held on Saturday, June 29th, 2024, celebrated a significant expansion of services, continuing Prism Health's commitment to providing culturally specific, affirming, and integrated care in Primary Care, Behavioral Health, and Pharmacy Services.
Since its launch in 2017, Prism Health has become a cornerstone of community-based health care, particularly for the LGBTQ+ community and those living with HIV.
“The overwhelming public support since the clinic's inception reflects the critical need for such services," said Connie Silver, Prism Health Medical Director.
The new clinic, Prism Health | Morris, follows three years of dedicated planning, development, and fundraising, culminating in a state-of-the-art 7,500 square foot facility that doubles patient capacity and offers comprehensive health services, including pediatrics and obstetrics. It is strategically located near Dawson Park, several historically black community organizations, public transportation options, public housing, and Legacy Emanuel Medical Center, enhancing access to health services for the community.
"This location will allow us to cultivate stronger community partnerships and reach more people who need our services," added Jessica Cole, Director of Healthcare Operations.
The building that Prism Health | Morris now calls home has provided underserved communities with compassionate health care for decades. It was originally owned by barrier-breaking Oregon physician, Dr. Walter C. Reynolds, who was the first Black graduate of the University of Oregon’s medical school (now OHSU). Prism Morris will honor this legacy by offering comprehensive primary care as well as transgender health services, HIV and STI testing, mental health services, and an integrated, on-site pharmacy to anyone seeking compassionate health care, regardless of ability to pay.
The expansion was made possible by a robust funding coalition, including a notable $4 million from the Oregon legislature, aimed at addressing the state's mental health and substance use disorder crises.
“These shovel-ready projects will benefit communities in every corner of Oregon,” said Rep. Tawna Sanchez, who represents a district in North/Northeast Portland and co-chairs the Legislature’s budget committee. “This is a great thing for my Portland community and the next right step towards ensuring Oregonians of all backgrounds can get high quality, affordable care when they need it.”
In addition to the funds provided through the landmark spending bill, CAP received numerous gifts and grants through new partners and long-time supporters including:
A $618,000 grant from the Oregon Health Authority
A $300,000 grant from Seeding Justice
A $250,000 grant from Care Oregon for start-up staffing costs
A $200,000 special appropriation from the City of Portland
A $100,000 grant from the Hillman Family Foundation
A $100,000 grant from the Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation
A $72,000 grant from Prosper Portland
A $20,000 gift from Ed Cauduro Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation
"Thanks to our funders and partners, we're not only continuing Dr. Walter C. Reynolds' legacy of compassionate care but also expanding it to meet today's community needs," expressed Paul Lumley, CAP CEO
About Cascade AIDS Project
Founded in 1983 and incorporated in 1985 as the Cascade AIDS Project, CAP is the oldest and largest community-based provider of HIV services, housing, education and advocacy in Oregon and Southwest Washington. We promote well-being and advance equity by providing inclusive health and wellness services for LGBTQ+ people, people affected by HIV, and all those seeking compassionate care. When the need for affordable, accessible, and culturally affirming primary care services was identified as a community need, we responded by opening Prism Health in 2017. And in 2022, Our House of Portland joined the CAP family to further expand our service offerings and allow us to offer a full lifecycle of care to our community. To learn more about CAP, please visit www.capnw.org
About Prism Health
Prism Health provides high quality, affordable, and accessible health care for all, with a focus on serving individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, plus all other gender and sexual minorities (LGBTQ+). All of Prism services aim to reach the most vulnerable – those living below the poverty line, communities of color, homeless or unstably housed individuals, and people experiencing mental health and/or addiction issues.
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Oregon Legislature Awards $4 Million to Prism Health
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Salem, OR – Lawmakers in Salem have passed a funding package that includes $4 million for the purchase of the property where a new Prism Health clinic will be located. (Prism Health is a program of Cascade AIDS Project.)
The funds for Prism are part of a sweeping $211 million investment by legislators in tackling Oregon’s addiction and mental-health crisis. This omnibus spending bill (House Bill 5204) puts tens of millions of dollars towards building capacity at facilities that provide behavioral-health and substance-use services. The new Prism facility will allow the LGBTQ+ health center to deliver addiction and mental-health services for more than 250 additional patients.
“These shovel-ready projects will benefit communities in every corner of Oregon,” said Rep. Tawna Sanchez, who represents a district in North/Northeast Portland and co-chairs the Legislature’s budget committee. “This is a great thing for my Portland community and the next right step towards ensuring Oregonians of all backgrounds can get high quality, affordable care when they need it.”
The Legislature’s appropriation to Prism addresses the disproportionate impact of addiction on the LGBTQ+ community and the lack of LGBTQ-affirming addiction services in Oregon. Transgender and queer people are almost twice as likely as their straight counterparts to suffer from opioid addiction, but a 2022 survey of addiction-treatment providers in Oregon found fewer than 20% of respondents offered services for LGBTQ+ people, veterans, or people with disabilities. Prism Health helps fill this gap by providing Medication Assisted Treatment, counseling, and peer-support services for LGBTQ+ people experiencing addiction.
Prism’s request for funding got support from the Legislative LGBTQ+ Caucus, which includes Sen. Kate Lieber and Reps. Ben Bowman, Farrah Chaichi, Dacia Grayber, Travis Nelson, and Rob Nosse. “LGBTQ+ Oregonians often struggle to find and receive treatment and services that address their unique experiences,” said the Caucus in a statement. “LGBTQ+ folks deserve the same access to care as every other person. We are grateful to Prism Health for providing critical services to our community and are excited to see its expansion with this funding.”
Paul Lumley is the Chief Executive Officer of Cascade AIDS Project, Prism’s parent organization. “Research has found that when LGBTQ+ people receive culturally responsive addiction treatment, they have better outcomes,” he said. "With this investment, the Legislature is helping ensure that trans and queer Oregonians have access to addiction and mental-health services that will work for them.”
Prism Health’s new clinic is located at 15 N Morris St. in Portland. The clinic will begin providing behavioral-health services later this spring, followed by primary care this summer.
For more information, please contact Jonathan Frochtzwajg at jfrochtzwajg@capnw.org or (503) 278-3852.
About Cascade AIDS Project
Founded in 1983 and incorporated in 1985 as the Cascade AIDS Project, CAP is the oldest and largest community-based provider of HIV services, housing, education and advocacy in Oregon and Southwest Washington. We promote well-being and advance equity by providing inclusive health and wellness services for LGBTQ+ people, people affected by HIV, and all those seeking compassionate care. When the need for affordable, accessible, and culturally affirming primary care services was identified as a community need, we responded by opening Prism Health in 2017. And in 2022, Our House of Portland joined the CAP family to further expand our service offerings and allow us to offer a full lifecycle of care to our community. To learn more about CAP, please visit www.capnw.org
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Washington Lawmakers Pass Bill to Ensure Access to Emergency HIV Prevention
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Olympia, WA — The Washington State Legislature gave final approval today to legislation that will help make sure sexual-assault survivors, first responders, and others who may need emergency HIV prevention medications can get them.
Senate Bill 6127 addresses the many barriers that Washingtonians currently face when they require HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), a combination of medications that can prevent HIV infection if it’s taken within 72 hours of exposure to the virus. These barriers include doctors not knowing how to prescribe PEP, pharmacies not stocking the medications used for PEP, and insurance companies charging high co-pays for the drugs.
SB 6127 tackles these issues by requiring hospitals to adopt a policy on PEP and provide the time-sensitive medications to patients in the emergency room. The measure also mandates that insurance companies make at least one form of PEP available to their members without a co-pay. Overcoming opposition by the Washington State Hospital Association, the legislation makes Washington only the second state to require PEP dispensing in ERs.
In public hearings on SB 6127, Joanna Shelton, a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE), shared a story that starkly illustrated the need for the bill, especially in rural areas:
Last year, a woman was raped on one of the San Juan Islands. The SANE nurse assessed the victim’s assault as being very high risk for HIV. The hospital stocked a starting dose of PEP, but the island pharmacy would not be able to get the remaining medication in time. The only way to get this victim her medication was for the SANE nurse to take the prescription to a mainland pharmacy that stocked it and deliver it to a medical transport plane, which flew it to the hospital. It should not be this hard to provide such a life-altering medication.
Cascade AIDS Project, the leading provider of HIV-prevention services in Southwest Washington, proposed the concept for SB 6127. “We have a front-row seat to the many roadblocks people encounter when they need PEP,” said Jonathan Frochtzwajg, the agency’s Public Policy & Grants Manager. “Thanks to this bill, Washingtonians who have experienced a trauma like sexual assault will no longer be forced to scramble to get their hands on this vital HIV prevention tool.”
Sen. Marko Liias (21st District—Edmonds) served as the bill’s chief sponsor. “We've advanced so far in treatment when it comes to exposure to HIV, but time is of the essence when it comes to effectively preventing infection,” he said. “This bill will address two major barriers to treatment — availability and cost. I’m proud we were able to get it across the finish line this year.”
For more information on SB 6127, please contact Jonathan Frochtzwajg at jfrochtzwajg@capnw.org or (503) 278-3852.
About Cascade AIDS Project
Founded in 1983 and incorporated in 1985 as the Cascade AIDS Project, CAP is the oldest and largest community-based provider of HIV services, housing, education and advocacy in Oregon and Southwest Washington. We promote well-being and advance equity by providing inclusive health and wellness services for LGBTQ+ people, people affected by HIV, and all those seeking compassionate care. When the need for affordable, accessible, and culturally affirming primary care services was identified as a community need, we responded by opening Prism Health in 2017. And in 2022, Our House of Portland joined the CAP family to further expand our service offerings and allow us to offer a full lifecycle of care to our community. To learn more about CAP, please visit www.capnw.org
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CAP’s “Data Justice Act” passes out of the Oregon Legislature
The Oregon Legislature has given final approval to House Bill 3159, also known as the Data Justice Act. Championed by Cascade AIDS Project, the bill positions Oregon as a national leader in collecting data on LGBTQ+ health disparities.
The Data Justice Act requires healthcare providers to collect and report to the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) data on their patients’ sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as their race, ethnicity, preferred language, and disabilities. Currently, providers are only required to collect some of this data from COVID-19 patients, and are not required by law to collect any sexual orientation or gender identity data. In addition to mandating data collection by providers, the Data Justice Act directs OHA to develop a database for storing and analyzing patient demographic data.
LGBTQ+ people experience many health disparities, including higher rates of tobacco use, cancer, and psychological distress. However, OHA collects little to no information about LGBTQ+ residents. In this, Oregon certainly isn’t alone: Few government agencies collect demographic data on LGBTQ+ people. (Most notably, the U.S. Census Bureau does not ask any questions directly related to sexual orientation or non-binary gender identity.) “As far as we know, Oregon is the first state to pass a requirement that health care providers collect and report sexual orientation and gender identity,” says Sean Cahill, Director of Health Policy Research at Boston’s Fenway Institute. “We commend Oregon legislators and advocates for taking this important step for LGBTQ health equity.”
The Data Justice Act will also dramatically expand collection of data on health inequities related to race, ethnicity, preferred language, and disabilities. The law ensures that patients can decline to provide demographic data.
A coalition of more than 30 community organizations endorsed the Data Justice Act, including Basic Rights Oregon, Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center, and the SEIU Oregon State Council. The bill’s chief sponsor was Representative Rob Nosse, and its lead advocate in the Oregon Senate was Senator Kate Lieber. For more information about this legislation, please contact CAP’s public-policy manager, Jonathan Frochtzwajg, at jfrochtzwajg@capnw.org.
About Cascade AIDS Project
CAP is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1985 as a grassroots response to the AIDS crisis. As the oldest and largest community-based HIV services provider in Oregon and southwest Washington, we seek to support and empower all people with or affected by HIV, reduce stigma, and provide the LGBTQ+ community with compassionate healthcare. We do so by helping to ensure the health and well-being of our program participants each year through health, housing, and other social services. When the need for affordable, accessible, and culturally affirming primary care services was identified as a community need, we responded by opening Prism Health in 2017. More information can be found at www.capnw.org.
CAP + Our House are Moving in Together!
Dear Friends and Supporters,
After more than 30 years of collaboration and a shared mission, Cascade AIDS Project (CAP) and Our House are finally moving in together. Unifying our two organizations will allow us to better serve and support the needs of our community, while also expanding our vision of care.
We appreciate all your support along our ever-evolving journey to stifle stigma, provide compassionate care and end suffering for individuals with HIV and AIDS.
Together under one roof, we will continue to serve and support our community. This strategic partnership will allow us to reach new communities, restructure our existing services to meet the evolving needs of individuals living with HIV and AIDS and the LGBTQ+ community, and ensure all in our community have access to the help they need at the right time.
Never have our programs, our services and our ability to be flexible in the ways we define and provide care been more important than they are now. We will continue to ensure that our community is receiving the entire spectrum of HIV services such as awareness and prevention education, testing and linkage, housing stability and long-term complex, specialized care. We see this as an opportunity to re-evaluate the ways we provide care and discover new strategies through which we can continue to thrive.
There are many ways to get involved in this exciting next chapter and we hope you will join us as we evolve together under one roof.
With gratitude,
CAP Secures $250,000 Investment from Multnomah County for Older Adults Living with HIV
Following months of advocacy by Cascade AIDS Project (CAP) and allies, the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners voted yesterday to allocate $250,000 in the County’s 2021-22 budget toward community-based services for aging adults living with or affected by HIV.
Multnomah County Commissioner Sharon Meieran proposed the allocation at CAP’s request. “As this population ages, they encounter unique challenges that accompany being a long-term HIV/AIDS survivor,” Commissioner Meieran said in her remarks on the budget’s adoption. “I’m excited that this budget fully funds an amendment I proposed to support and expand services for aging adults living with or affected by HIV and AIDS.”
Dramatic improvements in the effectiveness of HIV treatment have resulted in people living with HIV longer than ever before. More than half of all Oregonians living with HIV are now age 50 or older. Many of these long-term HIV/AIDS survivors lost much of their support network to the HIV epidemic, so experiences of complex post-traumatic stress disorder and isolation are all too common.
Multnomah County has been a leader in recognizing older adults living with HIV as a growing population in need of special support. The County’s Aging, Disability & Veteran Services Division has identified long-term survivors as a marginalized community since 2017, and it currently contracts with Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon to provide nutrition services for this population. The County’s latest investment bolsters its commitment to ensuring that the first generation of aging adults living with HIV have access to HIV-competent, culturally responsive services in their golden years.
For more information about CAP’s Public Policy & Advocacy program, go to capnw.org/ppa.
For more information about Aging Well, CAP’s program for older adults living with and affected by HIV, visit agingwellnw.org.
Oregon House Passes CAP-Backed Bill to Give Pharmacists the Ability to Prescribe PrEP
A bill that would give pharmacists in Oregon the ability to write prescriptions for PrEP passed out of the Oregon House on Tuesday with overwhelming support. Cascade AIDS Project (CAP) is leading the effort to pass the legislation, which would make Oregon the third state in the country to enable pharmacists to prescribe PrEP, as well as HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).
House Bill 2958 would remove key barriers to pharmacists prescribing PrEP by making clear that pharmacists have the authority to perform an HIV test, requiring insurers to reimburse pharmacists for PrEP screening & counseling, and mandating that most insurers cover at least one form of PrEP without forcing prescribers to obtain approval first. If the legislation passes out of the Oregon Senate and is signed by Governor Kate Brown, Oregonians who need PrEP will be able to get a starter supply of the medication in a single visit to any Oregon pharmacist trained in PrEP prescription.
PrEP is a powerful tool in the effort to end the HIV epidemic, but it is not nearly as accessible as it must be for those at highest risk of HIV infection, including Black and Latinx people. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 44% of those who could benefit from PrEP are Black, and 25% are Latinx, but less than 1% of those prescribed PrEP are from these communities. Pharmacist-prescribed PrEP expands the availability of HIV prevention medication to populations that the traditional healthcare system is not reaching well.
The Oregon House passed HB 2958 on a 47-7 vote, with Representative Dacia Grayber of Tigard and Representative Rob Nosse of Southeast Portland serving as chief sponsors. Despite the fact that the bill seeks to improve access to PrEP for residents of rural Oregon, a number of representatives of rural areas voted against it: Rep. Shelly Boshart Davis of the Albany area, Rep. Jami Cate of Lebanon, Rep. Bill Post of Keizer, Rep. Daniel Bonham of The Dalles; Rep. Vikki Rep. Breese Iverson of Prineville, Rep. Werner Reschke of Klamath Falls, and Rep. Duane Stark of Grants Pass. The legislation now awaits a hearing in the Senate Committee on Health Care.
For more information, contact CAP’s Public Policy & Grants Manager, Jonathan Frochtzwajg, at jfrochtzwajg@capnw.org.
About Cascade AIDS Project
CAP is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1985 as a grassroots response to the AIDS crisis. As the oldest and largest community-based HIV services provider in Oregon and southwest Washington, we seek to support and empower all people with or affected by HIV, reduce stigma, and provide the LGBTQ+ community with compassionate healthcare. We do so by helping to ensure the health and well-being of our program participants each year through health, housing, and other social services. When the need for affordable, accessible, and culturally affirming primary care services was identified as a community need, we responded by opening Prism Health in 2017. More information can be found at www.capnw.org.
Announcing CAP's New Strategic Plan
We are delighted to share our new strategic plan with you!
Cascade AIDS Project (CAP) and its health program, Prism Health, have developed our strategic plan to inform and guide our important work over the next three years. The plan was developed to prioritize the work that addresses identified community needs within an evolving healthcare and social policy environment.
The process of conducting strategic planning has allowed CAP to proactively assess the external and internal environment for emerging trends, expectations, and issues. The resulting plan builds on and enhances our capacity to nurture a culture that supports health, wellness, and community responsibility for taking care of each other, and the individuals and families we serve.
Our strategy over the next three years will not only focus on increasing access to services but transforming how those services are delivered in order to improve health outcomes, participant satisfaction as well as the efficiency of service delivery. We see our role as working to dismantle barriers to health equity, and our ongoing commitment is to ensure that equity remains an integral part of our internal culture and external mission. We take pride in the initiatives highlighted in this report, and we extend our deepest gratitude to our dedicated staff, Board Members, and community partners for the role they all play in our continued success.
We are excited for what’s to come and look forward to enhancing our services to meet the growing demands of the communities we serve.
In Solidarity,
Tyler TerMeer, PhD Chief Executive Officer
About Cascade AIDS Project
CAP is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1985 as a grassroots response to the AIDS crisis. As the oldest and largest community-based HIV services provider in Oregon and southwest Washington, we seek to support and empower all people with or affected by HIV, reduce stigma, and provide the LGBTQ+ community with compassionate healthcare. We do so by helping to ensure the health and well-being of our program participants each year through health, housing, and other social services. When the need for affordable, accessible, and culturally affirming primary care services was identified as a community need, we responded by opening Prism Health in 2017. More information can be found at www.capnw.org.
About Prism Health
Prism Health provides high quality, affordable, and accessible health care for all, with a focus on serving individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, plus all other gender and sexual minorities (LGBTQ+). All of Prism services aim to reach the most vulnerable – those living below the poverty line, communities of color, homeless or unstably housed individuals, and people experiencing mental health and/or addiction issues.
HIV Organizations Announce Racial Justice Index To Remedy Disconnect Between HIV Leadership And Community Impact
Leading up to National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, AIDS United and its Public Policy Council, composed of 55 of the nation's leading organizations dedicated to ending HIV, are announcing they have launched the Racial Justice Index. AIDS United is working collaboratively with the Black AIDS Institute, a Public Policy Council member, to guide this work. After the summer of 2020 that ushered in a racial reckoning in America, this novel initiative aims to create awareness — and eventually sustainable change — around the misalignment between who holds power and resources in HIV organizations and the epidemic’s disproportionate impact on Black Americans.
The Racial Justice Index is part of a series of outcomes that emerged from more than two years of conversations led by leaders of color among the Public Policy Council and was made more urgent by the national outcry for racial justice. In June 2020, AIDS United, along with 53 members of its Public Policy Council and more than 20 other HIV organizations, issued an open letter to all elected officials calling for all policies to be enacted through a racial justice and equity framework. The Index’s mission is to assess and improve the HIV sector’s commitment to racial equity by creating assessment tools and resources to combat anti-Black racism and other forms of racism that will first be analyzed in PPC organizations and then the HIV sector. This includes hiring practices, leadership, talent retention and decision-making in the HIV movement. The Index’smethodical implementation process will seek to onboard HIV organizations to respond to an online national survey that will inform a publicly-released report, which will facilitate critical leadership conversations among HIV stakeholders.
The initiative will be guided by the Racial Justice Index Committee, a committee formed out of AIDS United’s Public Policy Council and co-chaired by Raniyah Copeland, president and CEO of Black AIDS Institute, and A. Toni Young, CEO, Community Education Group — nationally renowned Black leaders in the HIV community. The PPC and the Index committee are managed by Carl Baloney Jr., AIDS United vice president for policy and advocacy. AIDS United Board members, Dr. Kimberley Jeffries Leonard, president of Links Inc., and Dr. David Holtgrave, Dean of the University at Albany School of Public Health, SUNY, have also been instrumental in assisting in the creation of the Index. The committee includes HIV service and advocacy organizations from across the country. The work of the Racial Justice Index will first assess how leadership in the HIV movement reflects the communities most impacted and will later aim to provide training and capacity building to root out white supremacy in HIV organizations’ work.
As a Black man living with HIV, I am very proud of our diverse coalition of organizations making this commitment to racial justice. Since the start of the HIV epidemic, AIDS United has played an active role to ensure that all who are living with and vulnerable to HIV receive the care they need. We are in a moment where the HIV sector — and the health care sector as a whole — must look inward and ask ourselves if our structures and decisions truly reflect the people and needs of those most impacted by the epidemic. The Public Policy Council has always pushed for responsiveness and inclusiveness across the HIV sector. This carries that work forward in these pressing times when health inequities are at our nation's forefront. We cannot end HIV without ending the systemic racism that is too often embedded in processes that result in the disparities in new infections and lack of access to care. I know it is time for change, and we are eager to put in the required work to end racist inequities and the imprint of systemic racism in our sector.
Jesse Milan Jr., President and CEO, AIDS United
For 21 years, the Black AIDS Institute has led the fight to end HIV from a uniquely and unapologetically Black lens. With Black Empowerment as a central value, our leadership and our staff represent the communities we serve. By partnering with AIDS United and drawing from the intersectional expertise of the 55 Public Policy Council organizations, the Racial Justice Index will catalyze the prioritization of Black leadership, resource allocation, and capacity building. If we are committed to ending HIV within our lifetimes, rectifying the stain of white supremacy in how we do our work must be of the utmost priority.
Raniyah Copeland, President and CEO, Black AIDS Institute, co-chair of AIDS United’s Racial Justice Index Committee
HIV, HCV and Substance Use Disorder rage through Black and poor rural communities across the United States, it is critical the organizations are equipped to address the needs or Black people in the rural and Southern communities. The Racial Index will provide a tool for organizations to better develop staff and meet the growing needs of Black and brown communities.
A. Toni Young, Founder and Executive Director, Community Education Group, co-chair of AIDS United’s Racial Justice Index Committee
We are proud of the AIDS United Public Policy Council for deepening our commitment to racial justice through the important and urgent work to create the racial justice index. This initiative will help us examine the HIV sector's commitment to racial equity and empower us all with the resources needed to end the HIV epidemic, starting with our own organizations.
AIDS United Public Policy Council Co-Chairs Bill Keeton, Vivent Health vice president and chief advocacy officer, and Dr. Tyler TerMeer, Cascade AIDS Project Chief Executive Officer
On National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, I join AIDS United’s Public Policy Council to celebrate the launch of the Racial Justice Index, an initiative designed for HIV service organizations to conduct internal reviews aimed at eliminating racist structures, policies, and hiring practices within them. The HIV/AIDS epidemic’s disproportionate impact on Black Americans is rooted in systemic racism and the Racial Justice Index provides a tool for HIV organizations to reassess their internal structures. The Racial Justice Index is a much needed mechanism to center racial equity at the core of the HIV sector’s commitment to ending the HIV epidemic.
Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Co-Chair of the Congressional HIV/AIDS Caucus
I applaud AIDS United for launching the Racial Justice Index on National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. The HIV/AIDS pandemic has had a devastating impact uponAfrican Americans and other communities of color. In order for AIDS service and advocacy organizations to effectively address these devastating disparities, they must accurately reflect the demographics of the people who need their services.
Congresswoman Maxine Waters
ABOUT AIDS UNITED
AIDS United’s mission is to end the HIV epidemic in the U.S. through strategic grant- making, capacity building and policy. AIDS United works to ensure access to life-saving HIV care and prevention services and to advance sound HIV-related policy for populations and communities most impacted by the U.S. epidemic. To date, AIDS United’s strategic grant-making initiatives have directly funded more than $104 million to local communities and have leveraged more than $117 million in additional investments for programs that include, but are not limited to, HIV prevention, access to care, capacity building, harm reduction and advocacy. Learn more at www.aidsunited.org
ABOUT BLACK AIDS INSTITUTE
Founded in 1999, Black AIDS Institute (BAI) is the only uniquely and unapologetically Black think and do tank in America. Our mission is “to stop the AIDS epidemic in Black communities by engaging and mobilizing Black institutions and individuals to confront HIV.” Black Empowerment is our central theme and we are led by people who represent the issues we serve. We source our capacity building, mobilization, and advocacy efforts from Black leaders and communities across the country, and provide culturally respectful, high-quality, HIV prevention and care services for Black people in Los Angeles. Learn more at https://blackaids.org
ABOUT AIDS UNITED PUBLIC POLICY COUNCIL
AIDS United’s Public Policy Council is the nation’s largest and longest-running policy coalition of community-based HIV organizations. Supported by the AIDS United Policy Department,
Learn more at www.aidsunited.org
PRESS CONTACT for BLACK AIDS INSTITUTE:
Michelle Huff Elliott | Simone Smalls
Strategic Heights Media media@strategicheights.com 212-634-7176
PRESS CONTACT for AIDS UNITED
Warren Gill
AIDS United wgill@aidsunited.org
CAP Observes World AIDS Day 2020
We were honored to join thousands of organizations and individuals across the globe participating in World AIDS Day yesterday! Originally started in 1988, World AIDS Day was the first ever global health day. Observed every year on December 1st, it is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV transmission, to show support for people living with HIV, and to remember and honor those who have died from an AIDS-related illness. It is also an opportunity to reflect back on our journey from the early days of the epidemic to where we are today. For 35 years, CAP has provided lifesaving and community-focused services to folks in Oregon and SW Washington.
2020 has been a year like no other due to the COVID-19 pandemic and our community has faced increased challenges in housing, mental health, food security, and access to healthcare. CAP has responded by providing emergency housing and rent assistance, tele-health services, food delivery, and virtual support groups. While we have been able to provide much needed relief to hundreds of Oregonians and Washingtonians throughout the pandemic, the need for these services has continued to grow and many of our friends and neighbors still need access to compassionate healthcare and critical wraparound services. For the past few weeks, we have shared a number of videos (which you can watch below!) leading up to World AIDS Day that give a window into the services we offer and why they are critical to the folks we serve. We work daily to help bring health equity to those most impacted by and living with HIV, end stigma, and provide compassionate care to the LGBTQ+ community and beyond. These messages from CAP staff, volunteers, community partners, and donors truly highlight the breadth of that work.
Thankfully, we have you, our steadfast community, to come together with us to meet these growing needs. This World AIDS Day, we were able to raise over $10,000 in critical funds to help bolster our programs this winter through your direct gifts and through our CAP Junior Board sponsored Drag Bingo event, featuring the unforgettable Mama Tits. Some of you signed up to volunteer and many of you shared messages of hope and remembrance on World AIDS Day. We are so overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support, and we can’t say thank you enough.
Thank you again from the bottom of our hearts!
Your Friends at CAP
About Cascade AIDS Project
Founded in 1985 as a grassroots response to the AIDS crisis, Cascade AIDS Project (CAP) is now the oldest and largest HIV-services and LGBTQ+ health provider in Oregon and southwest Washington, with more than 100 employees working across four locations. Our organization seeks to prevents new HIV infections; support low-income people living with HIV; and provide safe, welcoming, and knowledgeable healthcare for the LGBTQ+ community. Through our vital health, housing, and other social services, we help ensure the well-being of more than 15,000 people each year. More information can be found at www.capnw.org.
Affirming our Commitment to Safe, Compassionate, And High-Quality care for the BIPOC & LGBTQIA+ Community
Historically, during times of great unrest, it is often our most diverse communities that experience compounded hardship. From the stress of overloaded systems rife with inequity to blatant and targeted harassment of people in our community.
Sadly, we’ve seen that Portland is not immune. As a local nonprofit healthcare provider , Prism Health stands firm in our commitment to offer a safe, affirming, and non-judgmental space where all members of the all members of the BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ community can obtain the compassionate and culturally effective health care they need and deserve.
Our facility was designed in strategic partnership with members from our Black Trans community to ensure a level of cultural competence, comfort and functionality that benefits everyone, especially those who the current systems consistently and repeatedly underserve.
We prioritize inclusivity to insure that all members of the BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ community can access affirming and high-quality health care. Patients do not have to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer to receive care, but services will focus on addressing the sensitive issues of sexual and gender minorities and their families and friends.
Our clinic serves all patients regardless of ability to pay. No one will be denied services based on gender identity, sexual orientation, race, nationality, or religious affiliation. We offer a sliding fee for all based on family size and income. Please ask at the reception desk.
Our doors are open. We are committed to your health and safety. We are committed to accountability. We are committed to continuing to build a medical community that is trustworthy, reliable and accessible. And we are committed to you, our community!
It is with these commitments that we move forward into this time of great social and political change with gratitude and intention to be at your service.
About Prism Health
Prism Health is a nonprofit LGBTQIA+ health center in the Pacific Northwest providing comprehensive primary care. As a division of Cascade AIDS Project, Prism Health leverages CAP’s decades of LGBTQIA+ health experience to address the wide range of health issues disproportionately impacting our community. The southeast Portland clinic features primary care, mental health, and pharmacy services—all in a space where queer people can be sure they will feel safe, welcome, and understood from the moment they walk in the door. For more information, please visit www.prismhealth.org.
We’re Joining the Fight Against Big Tobacco
Cascade AIDS Project is proud to announce our endorsement of the vaping and tobacco tax on the ballot this November, and we hope you’ll join us in voting YES for a healthy future!
People have been suffering from vaping-related illnesses while tobacco companies target our kids with candy-flavored vapes. Research shows that teens who vape are 3x more likely to start smoking. But Oregon doesn’t tax vapes one penny. That’s why we’re voting YES to protect our youth.
Tobacco is the #1 cause of preventable death in Oregon. That means we all pay the price—almost $1.5 billion per year in smoking-related health care costs. This measure will prevent nearly 12,000 premature deaths. That’s why a bipartisan committee wrote this measure to dedicate the dollars to tobacco prevention and cessation programs and the Oregon Health Plan.
Dollars raised by the vaping and tobacco tax must go to the Oregon Health Plan and to fund smoking prevention programs and programs to help people quit for good. The new revenue cannot be used for anything else.
Cascade AIDS Project is proud to join the fight against Big Tobacco by endorsing the YES for a Health Future Campaign along with the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, the American Lung Association, nurses, doctors, local chambers of commerce, small businesses and community based organizations across the state.
Will you join us in voting YES this November?
Go to www.yesforahealthyfuture.org to learn more!
About Cascade AIDS Project
Founded in 1985 as a grassroots response to the AIDS crisis, Cascade AIDS Project (CAP) is now the oldest and largest HIV-services and LGBTQ+ health provider in Oregon and southwest Washington, with more than 100 employees working across four locations. Our organization seeks to prevents new HIV infections; support low-income people living with HIV; and provide safe, welcoming, and knowledgeable healthcare for the LGBTQ+ community. Through our vital health, housing, and other social services, we help ensure the well-being of more than 15,000 people each year. More information can be found at www.capnw.org
CAP & 53 Other HIV Organizations Demand Racial Justice In Open Letter to Politicians
CAP joins 53 other LGBTQ+ and HIV/STI organizations in an open letter to Politicians demanding broad policy and structural changes that will lead to racial justice. We know that we cannot end the HIV epidemic in the United States without also dismantling institutions and policies that promote and enable systemic racism and white supremacy, and we are proud to link arms with those in Minneapolis and across the country who are speaking out against police brutality and institutional racism. The full letter can be read below.
Dear Elected Official:
The HIV community is no stranger to protests. From our formation in the early 1980s, our progress has depended upon our willingness to put our bodies and livelihoods on the line to stand up to the unjust and discriminatory systems that neglect us.
The progress we have made in fighting the HIV epidemic would not be possible without HIV advocates taking to the streets and screaming their truth to those in power. We owe a great debt to the titans of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s whose example and leadership taught us so much about the need for direct action and civil disobedience.
As protests currently occur throughout the country, AIDS United’s Public Policy Council must state publicly and unequivocally that we are in solidarity with all of those who protest violent and oppressive systems. We are also committed to infusing racial justice throughout all our work. We do so because we know it is the only way we can end the HIV epidemic in the United States.
Let us be clear: There is nothing deficient about Black and Brown bodies.
And yet, those of us who are Black and Brown are more likely to die from medical conditions as different as childbirth and heart disease. There is nothing specific about Black bodies that make us more susceptible to HIV, and yet nearly half the new HIV diagnoses in the United States are among Black people.
The problem is neither medical nor biological. It is sociological. The problem is white supremacy.
We have seen white supremacy in action in dramatic ways recently with the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and Tony McDade. We have also seen white supremacy play out in less obvious ways recently, too, with the COVID-19 death rate among Black communities far outpacing other communities.
White supremacy is all around us, and it is taxing.
The mission of AIDS United and our Public Policy Council is to end the HIV epidemic in the United States. We cannot achieve that without prioritizing the health and well-being of Black people. We also know that we cannot achieve that without major shifts in our justice system.
AIDS United, in partnership with the ACT NOW: END AIDS Coalition, released in 2018 a community-driven plan to end the HIV epidemic. That document called for significant criminal justice reforms, including:
• Repealing laws that criminalize HIV and other infectious diseases.
• Decriminalizing sex work.
• Undoing the harassment and criminalization of immigrant communities.
• Minimizing criminal justice involvement for people who use drugs.
• Reducing mass incarceration.
• Eliminating both mandatory minimums for drug offenses and cash bail.
• Removing legal barriers to accessing public housing and other social benefits for individuals with past drug convictions.At the foundation of each of these policy proposals is a thorough commitment to valuing Black lives. These concrete proposals will go a long way toward making our communities safer and ending the HIV epidemic in the United States.
We urge you — whether you are the mayor of a small town, a member of Congress or the President of the United States — to enact these policies. We also call on you to enact all policy through a racial justice and equity lens.
AIDS United’s Public Policy Council joins our voice with the current generation of civil rights champions. We join the calls for justice for the victims of systemic, racist violence in the United States. We join with all those who are rejecting an abusive and dehumanizing criminal justice system that for too long has targeted Black and Brown communities. Will you join us?
AIDS United
Jesse Milan Jr., President & CEO
The AIDS United Public Policy Council:
AIDS Action/Fenway Health
AIDS Alabama
AIDS Foundation of Chicago
American Academy of HIV Medicine
Amida Care
APLA Health
Association of Nurses in AIDS Care
Black AIDS Institute
Black Women’s Health Imperative
Callen-Lorde Community Health Center
Careteam+ Family Health
Cascade AIDS Project/Prism Health
Cempa Community Care
Center for HIV Law & Policy
Collaborative Solutions
Community Education Group
CrescentCare
Delaware HIV Consortium
Desert AIDS Project
Equitas Health
GMHC
God’s Love We Deliver
Harm Reduction Coalition
Housing Works
Howard Brown Health
Intercambios Puerto Rico
JRI Health
JustUs Health
Latino Commission on AIDS
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
Los Angeles LGBT Center
Metro Inclusive Health
My Brother’s Keeper, Inc.
Nashville CARES
National Alliance for HIV Education and Workforce Development
National Black Justice Coalition
North Carolina AIDS Action Network
Oklahoma AIDS Care Fund
Positive Women’s Network – USA
Prevention Access Campaign
Prism Health North Texas
Puerto Rico Community Network for Clinical Services, Research, and Health Advancement
San Francisco AIDS Foundation
SisterLove
Southern AIDS Coalition
Thrive Alabama
Transgender, Gender Variant, Intersex Justice Project
Treatment Access Expansion Project
Treatment Action Group
Urban Coalition for HIV/AIDS Prevention Services
Us Helping Us, People Into Living
Vivent Health
Whitman-Walker Health
Women’s Collective
About Cascade AIDS Project
Founded in 1985 as a grassroots response to the AIDS crisis, Cascade AIDS Project (CAP) is now the oldest and largest HIV-services and LGBTQ+ health provider in Oregon and southwest Washington, with more than 100 employees working across four locations. Our organization seeks to prevents new HIV infections; support low-income people living with HIV; and provide safe, welcoming, and knowledgeable healthcare for the LGBTQ+ community. Through our vital health, housing, and other social services, we help ensure the well-being of more than 15,000 people each year. More information can be found at www.capnw.org
For People Living With HIV, A New Public Health Crisis In COVID-19
©2020 OPB. All Rights Reserved
CAP CEO Tyler TerMeer had the pleasure of talking with OPB’s Crystal Ligori for a segment of OPB’s “All Things Considered”. To hear the entire conversation with Tyler and Crystal, use the audio player at the top of this page. We have also attached a copy of the article written by Crystal Ligori and Jenn Chavez below for your convenience. The original copy of this interview, including the audio conversation, can be found here.
With the spread of coronavirus in the Pacific Northwest, many health care and social services have shifted more toward telemedicine and virtual support in order to maintain social distancing.
That includes the Cascade AIDS Project, which has been providing HIV services and advocacy in the Pacific Northwest since the 1980s. Since the pandemic began, the organization has largely shifted away from providing in-person services in favor of giving support by phone, email and telehealth.
Tyler TerMeer, the group’s chief executive officer, told OPB’s “All Things Considered” that its work is geared toward creating access to services for people who need them, no matter what’s happening in the world around them.
In addition to HIV and sexually transmitted infection screening and support services, CAP also provides social services for people living with HIV, including rent assistance, help addressing food insecurity, and making sure unhoused people with HIV stay connected. Those have become even more important amid the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. On the health care front, the organization has worked on making sure home HIV test kits and safer-sex supplies are available to community members, despite the in-person separation. They’ve also begun to provide COVID-19 testing.
“[We recognized] that people who we currently serve and members of the broader LGBTQ+ community and beyond would need access to COVID-19 testing,” TerMeer said, “and that we could offer that to the people that we serve but do it in a culturally affirming way.”
TerMeer acknowledged that transitioning to a telehealth model was difficult. “When I made the decision that we were going to this new model, it is in some ways such a far step away from who we are under our mission of an organization,” TerMeer said. “We built Cascade AIDS Project on the ability to provide in-person, compassionate, trauma-informed, client-centered care.”
TerMeer said while group leaders recognize that going virtual is not ideal, the services they provide are vital, and thus need to continue by any means available.
The mental health impacts of the pandemic on people living with HIV, as well as the LGBTQ community, is another concern. TerMeer acknowledged that people in those communities, global pandemic aside, have a long history of trauma and isolation.
“This time of being back in a period of isolation where they can’t have that social connection is very difficult for some of them. They are perhaps on their own, and their only outlet for social connection had been coming to see us for our social service programs, or for our social support program where they met with their peers,” TerMeer said.
Post-traumatic stress has been triggered by current events, especially for some long-term HIV survivors or members of the LGBTQ community who served as caretakers during the early years of the HIV epidemic.
“They’re reliving a very difficult chapter of their life where people were sick and dying around them,” TerMeer said.
The recent death of AIDS activist and Act Up founder Larry Kramer has brought that era of the HIV epidemic back into the national spotlight, in the context of current events. But as TerMeer and his colleagues have heard from some members of CAP’s “Aging Well” support group, the recent comparisons of the coronavirus pandemic and the HIV epidemic are not helpful. In fact, many would highlight the stark differences between the two.
During those early days of the epidemic, “you didn’t see a front-page New York Times article that talked about the 100,000 deaths in the community. That happened years into the epidemic of HIV, and was page 18 news,” TerMeer said.
Long-term HIV survivors are sometimes put off by the comparison, he said, because society didn’t respond to and care about the LGBTQ community in the same way back then, as people living through the epidemic faced stigma, discrimination and fear.
“It was really LGBTQ people and their friends and their family that had to start a revolution, that started a movement that allowed us to get us to where we’re at today in the HIV movement. It wasn’t a societal shift, a societal shutdown that got us to this point,” TerMeer said.
In all of the Cascade AIDS Project’s current priorities — addressing trauma and PTSD, providing essential healthcare and financial assistance, maintaining social connections — TerMeer added that racial equity is kept front and center. From discussions about data collection and contact tracing to considering how face coverings have in the past put some people of color at risk of being profiled, TerMeer said CAP is putting a racial justice framework on all its conversations about COVID-19.
“There should be nothing about us, without us,” TerMeer said. “That’s how the HIV movement was built, and that’s how public health crises should be addressed,” TerMeer said.
About Cascade AIDS Project
Founded in 1985 as a grassroots response to the AIDS crisis, Cascade AIDS Project (CAP) is now the oldest and largest HIV-services and LGBTQ+ health provider in Oregon and southwest Washington, with more than 100 employees working across four locations. Our organization seeks to prevents new HIV infections; support low-income people living with HIV; and provide safe, welcoming, and knowledgeable healthcare for the LGBTQ+ community. Through our vital health, housing, and other social services, we help ensure the well-being of more than 15,000 people each year. More information can be found at www.capnw.org
About OPB
OPB is the state’s most far-reaching and accessible media resource, providing free access to programming for children and adults designed to give voice to community, connect Oregon and its neighbors and illuminate a wider world. Every week, over 1.5 million people tune in to or log on to OPB’s Television, Radio and Internet delivered services. As the hub of operations for the state’s Emergency Broadcast and Amber Alert services, OPB serves as the backbone for the distribution of critical information to broadcasters and homes throughout Oregon. Oregon Public Broadcasting is a statewide network that includes OPB Television, an affiliate of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), and OPB Radio, presenting local news coverage and the programs of National Public Radio (NPR), Public Radio International (PRI) and American Public Media (APM). The OPB Web site is opb.org.
We Must Choose A New Tomorrow
Today I am tired. Today I am overwhelmed. Today I am sad, anxious, angry, and frustrated. One of the most difficult parts of my role as the CEO of CAP and Prism Health is finding strength to be a light in the dark. I have sat here searching for the right message to send to you, and if I'm honest with myself, I don't have the strength today for eloquence. So many names weigh heavy on my heart and mind -Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Sandra Bland, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Andre Emmett, George Floyd, Tony McDade, and on and on. So many lives taken for no cause, and with no justice.
It has been one week since the unjust murder of George Floyd and in the last 72+ hours an environment of civil unrest has become the reality in communities across our nation and right here in our own backyard. There is a clear difference between the peaceful protest / marches of thousands and the destruction and looting of the few. I know and acknowledge that often the media, our elected officials and beyond don't always make that clear. By doing so they dilute the critical message and intent of these peaceful protests. That Black Lives Matter. That the response we are seeing across the country (peaceful or not) comes from being pushed too far and comes from something that has been stewing in this country for decades. That even if people don’t condone it or understand it, that there is a reason that all of this is happening.
This moment is a culmination of the pain of racism, the fight for justice, dignity, life and human rights.
Our community is not new to this moment. We have been a part of it time and time again - during the civil rights movement, together at stonewall, in the suffrage movement, and during the height of the AIDS Epidemic. Through it all, we have remained strong, steadfast, and resilient. And while we wax nostalgically on these great moments of social progress, we forget all of the blood, sweat, tears, suffering, and pain it took to make those changes a reality. We fail to acknowledge the trauma and violence that so many of our people, specifically our Black and other Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC), experience every single day of their lives. We invoke the names of Sylvia, of Marsha, of Miss Majors, but we continue to shy away from the very real work of addressing the systems, including within our own movement, that marginalize and threaten those who have offered everything, including their lives, to bring about lasting change.
But today is not about the past. Today is about the present. It is about each and every one of the millions of Black lives that experience racial injustice on a daily basis. It is about the inequity that exists in jobs, healthcare, and education for our BIPOC communities. It is about the rampant racism, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia that have cost the lives of thousands of beautiful Black and Brown bodies who had so much to give this world. Today is about action. We can either continue to ignore the responsibility we carry and the work we still need to do to truly move forward to a better future, or we can stop dead in our tracks and acknowledge the truth of our history and its resulting inequities. We can choose a new tomorrow. We MUST choose a new tomorrow.
CAP and Prism Health are committed to identifying and eliminating manifestations of racism across our systems to create a more equitable tomorrow. We are committed to a tomorrow that values all Black and Brown lives. We are building a tomorrow that improves the lived experience of our BIPOC clients and community through health equity and racial justice. And above all, we demand a tomorrow where Black lives aren’t forfeit for simply existing.
This moment is a reminder that we cannot relent in our pursuit of equity and racial justice. I am committed to this pursuit, but I cannot bear that burden alone. We must all work together if we want to dismantle decades of institutionalized racism in our communities and our culture. We must all work together to stop the senseless loss of Black lives. And We MUST ALL work together to create an equitable tomorrow for our friends, families, communities, and our country, because our lives depend on it. As a Black man, my life may depend on it. Together we can create this change. Together we can create a better tomorrow.
I Am With You,
Tyler
Prism Health Earns Federal Health Center Status
Portland, OR | March 11, 2020 – Cascade AIDS Project (CAP) is very pleased to announce that Prism Health has earned Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Look-Alike status from the United States Health Resource & Services Administration. In order to achieve this designation, health centers must demonstrate that they serve an underserved area or population, offer a sliding fee scale discount, and provide comprehensive services regardless of an individual’s ability to pay.
“The board and staff of CAP and Prism Health are delighted to achieve FQHC Look-Alike status! The region deserves a high quality and innovative healthcare option that recognizes the unique needs of the LGBTQ+ community. We are honored by this designation and will continue to challenge ourselves to provide culturally relevant care for all members of our community regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation,” said Tyler TerMeer, CEO of Cascade AIDS Project and Prism Health.
Prism Health provides high quality, culturally relevant care through a comprehensive patient-centered approach that integrates primary care with behavioral health, pharmacy, and social services. Everything about Prism Health, from the team of providers and support staff and services offered, to intake forms, policies, and even the physical design of the building have been informed by members of the LGBTQ+ community and aim to create a safe welcoming environment. As an FQHC Look-Alike, Prism Health is poised to increase primary health accessibility to the LBGTQ+ community and beyond.
“This is an important achievement for our community, further demonstrating our commitment to welcoming, safe, and non-judgmental healthcare experience for everyone” said Mandy McKimmy, Prism Health Medical Director, “This integrated model along with our designation as an FQHC Look-Alike will allow us to better serve those patients who are in most need of our services.”
Prism Health provides complete primary and preventative care to anyone, including those who are uninsured or who have commercial insurance, Medicaid, or Medicare. Services include primary care, behavioral health, chronic disease management, specialized LGBTQ+ care, supportive services, specialized HIV and STD care & treatment, referrals to specialists, laboratory services, insurance enrollment, and pharmacy services.
About Cascade AIDS Project
Founded in 1985 as a grassroots response to the AIDS crisis, Cascade AIDS Project (CAP) is now the oldest and largest HIV-services and LGBTQ+ health provider in Oregon and southwest Washington, with more than 100 employees working across four locations. Our organization seeks to prevents new HIV infections; support low-income people living with HIV; and provide safe, welcoming, and knowledgeable healthcare for the LGBTQ+ community. Through our vital health, housing, and other social services, we help ensure the well-being of more than 15,000 people each year. More information can be found at www.capnw.org
About Prism Health
Prism Health provides compassionate healthcare to the LGBTQ+ community and beyond. More information can be found at www.prismhealth.org.
About FQHCs
Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) lookalikes, also known as Community Health Centers, are in every state across the nation. FQHCs are authorized under Section 330(A) of the Public Health Services Act to provide healthcare to the medically underserved. More information about the Health Center Program can be found at: bphc.hrsa.gov/about/index.html.