On This World AIDS DAY, Montefiore Shares How New York State and New York City Departments of Health Funding Will Bring More Prevention & Treatment Options to the Bronx

BRONX, N.Y. /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Montefiore AIDS Center, one of the largest HIV prevention and treatment programs in New York State, has been awarded $6.8 million in New York State and New York City Departments of Health funding to amplify its already robust prevention and treatment program for Bronx adults and youth over the next five years. The three grants secured since last World AIDS Day, are all focused on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) including the LGBTQ+ community.

One in four new HIV diagnoses in New York City happens in the Bronx. Most of the individuals impacted by this virus identify as Black or Hispanic and are under 40 years old.

“We have made tremendous strides in addressing HIV and AIDS. But since the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, communities of color and people who identify as LGBTQ+ remain at higher risk and unacceptable disparities remain,” said Barry Zingman, M.D., the principal investigator at Montefiore for all three grants and Medical Director of the Montefiore AIDS Center. “The funding from New York State and City allows us to expand services, and enhance our team with more counselors, patient educators and mental health support to ensure our patients obtain the comprehensive care required to meet their medical and psychosocial needs, both to optimally treat those living with HIV and to prevent it in people who are at higher risk. Importantly, the new funding also enables us to increase services that will help us to identify and address barriers to care like lack of healthy food, unhealthy living conditions and unstable housing.”

The three grants include:

1. Advancing Health Equity through Comprehensive Community-Based HIV Ambulatory Care Services: Component A, Retention and Adherence Program (for The Center for Positive Living/ID Clinic): focuses on both newly diagnosed patients and those who were previously diagnosed who are on antiretroviral therapy that has failed to suppress their viral load (associated with decreased survival and increased HIV transmission). The goal is to help these individuals, particularly people who have been impacted by racial discrimination, trauma and stigma, tackle a range of challenges related to health disparities like limited English proficiency, educational and transportation barriers. By addressing these challenges, the goal is to help people consistently access comprehensive care and maximize opportunities for viral load suppression, which in turn leads most to a long, healthy life with HIV and prevents transmission of the virus to others.  
2. Advancing Health Equity through Comprehensive Community-Based HIV Ambulatory Care Services: Component B, Centers for Young Adults (for The Oval Center at Montefiore): enables Montefiore to provide 13–29-year-old BIPOC LGBTQ+ Bronx patients living with HIV, with comprehensive primary, HIV and mental health care. The goal of the program is to have Montefiore’s multidisciplinary staff, consisting of infectious disease specialists, outreach specialists, social workers, peer navigators, patient educators and more to assist historically underserved patients in improving self-management of their HIV disease. Montefiore will also help this population with addressing challenges like lack of medication, difficulty adhering to medical appointments, food insecurity and feelings of isolation and depression.
3. 24-PHC-165P for PlaySure Network 2.0 in Health Care Settings: a high performing site since the start of this funding in 2022, Montefiore earned more funding in 2023 to increase screening and treatment for sexually transmitted infections and HIV, and to improve access to medicines like PrEP and PEP (pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis) that prevent HIV. There is a continued focus on the impact of housing, transportation and education. Funding also supported activities to address MPOX (formerly called “monkeypox”) which disproportionately affects gay, bi, trans and other men who have sex with men, as well as other racial and ethnic minority groups in New York City. Montefiore has been one of the largest evaluation and treatment site for MPOX in New York State and one of the first to offer MPOX vaccines on-site, ensuring that populations experiencing the greatest health disparities in the region do not suffer from lack of vaccine access.

“For more than 20 years, the Montefiore AIDS Center has proudly served the Bronx and surrounding areas, and more recently opened The Jacobs Family Pride Wellness Center (JFPWC) of Montefiore Nyack Hospital, the first LGBTQ+-focused medical center in the Hudson Valley,” continued Dr. Zingman, who is also professor of medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and clinical director, infectious diseases, at the Moses division of Montefiore Health System. “Our experience consistently reinforces the importance of regularly learning from and caring for our communities, particularly people who are stigmatized and might be distrustful and disengaged from the healthcare system. Having these additional funds and support from the State and City will help us make a real difference in people’s lives and we hope will create opportunities to recognize and celebrate our achievements on future World AIDS Days.”

Yesterday, The Oval Center, part of the Montefiore AIDS Center, was awarded a NYS DOH Commissioner’s Special Recognition Award in the HIV category and The Jacobs Family Pride Wellness Center of Montefiore Nyack Hospital was awarded a Commissioner’s Special Recognition Award in the LGBTQ+ category, at New York DOH’s Annual World AIDS Day event.

About Montefiore Health System

Montefiore Health System is one of New York’s premier academic health systems. It is a recognized leader in providing exceptional quality and personalized, accountable care to approximately three million people in communities across the Bronx, Westchester, and the Hudson Valley. It comprises ten hospitals, including the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, Burke Rehabilitation Hospital, and over two hundred outpatient ambulatory care sites. The advanced clinical and translational research at its medical school, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, directly informs patient care and improves outcomes. From the Montefiore-Einstein Centers of Excellence in cancer, cardiology and vascular care, pediatrics, and transplantation, to its preeminent school-based health program, Montefiore is a fully integrated healthcare delivery system providing coordinated, comprehensive care to patients and their families. For more information, please visit www.montefiore.org. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, or view us on Facebook and YouTube.

SOURCE Montefiore Health System

JERSEY CITY, N.J. /PRNewswire/ — Gran Coramino^® Tequila, an ultra-premium tequila founded by entrepreneur Kevin Hart and 11th-generation tequila maker, Juan Domingo Beckmann, has launched applications for The Coramino Fund, the brand’s giveback program, with U.S. impact partner Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). The Coramino Fund supports Black and Latinx entrepreneurs across the U.S. with $10,000 grants as well as learning opportunities.

Gran Coramino Tequila donates $1 for every bottle sold to support Black and Latinx entrepreneurs and small business owners across the U.S. and in Mexico. Applications for eligible U.S. businesses are open now at lisc.org/grancoramino and close Dec. 5, 2023. The next round of entrepreneurship programming in Jalisco, Mexico will launch in early 2024.

In its inaugural year, The Coramino Fund received over 20,000 applicants from every state and supported 50 entrepreneurs with $10,000 grants to fuel the growth of their small businesses – three of these entrepreneurs are pictured above. Martin Boyd Jr., owner and founder of Redemption Body Wellness noted, “For me as a business owner, the hardest thing to secure is new staff members while also expanding programs for the community, especially for youth and elders. This grant gives me the opportunity to do just that.”

Kevin Hart, co-founder of Gran Coramino Tequila, noted, “The Coramino Fund is not just about grants – it’s about building a legacy of economic empowerment and generational success. The impact our first year of collaboration with LISC had on Black and Latinx small business owners was inspiring to see. With this new round of support, we’re continuing to help break the barriers that have held talented entrepreneurs back from achieving their dreams.”

“The Coramino Fund is not merely a financial boost for small businesses; it’s a transformative force for aspiring entrepreneurs,” said Michael T. Pugh, LISC CEO. “We’re eager to continue leveling the playing field for under-resourced Black and Latinx small business owners. Together with Gran Coramino Tequila, we are supporting sustainable businesses, quality jobs and economic growth that will enrich lives and uplift communities across the nation.”

Gran Coramino Tequila and LISC encourage all eligible entrepreneurs and small business owners from the U.S. to apply for the grant program online at www.lisc.org/grancoramino now through Dec. 5, 2023. Grant recipients will be announced in early 2024.

Gran Coramino was established in 2022 by comedian and entrepreneur Kevin Hart and 11th-generation tequila producer Juan Domingo Beckmann. Co-created alongside Global Brand Equities and Proximo Spirits, the venture seamlessly blends Hart’s passion for tequila with Beckmann’s expertise in spirits making. The Coramino Fund — the brand’s give-back program now in its second year — was developed to reflect the pair’s dedication to giving back to their communities.

About LISC

LISC is one of the country’s largest community development organizations, helping forge vibrant, resilient communities across America. LISC works with residents and partners to close systemic gaps in health, wealth, and opportunity and advance racial equity so that people and places can thrive. Since its founding in 1979, LISC has invested $29.7 billion to create more than 489,000 affordable homes and apartments, develop 81.4 million square feet of retail, community, and educational space, and help tens of thousands of people find employment and improve their finances.

About GRAN CORAMINO™ TEQUILA

Gran Coramino is a tequila brand founded by two world-class masters of their crafts, Juan Domingo Beckmann and Kevin Hart. Launching first with Gran Coramino Reposado Cristalino, the tequila is matured in Eastern European oak barrels, finished in California Cabernet wine casks, and slow-filtered for smooth flavor and crystal-clear color. The brand expanded with an Añejo expression on September 14, 2022, offering a silky smooth tequila taste with a long and sweet cognac-laced finish. Gran Coramino will donate $1 from every bottle sold to support diverse entrepreneurs and small businesses from communities in Tequila, Mexico, and the United States. Gran Coramino® Tequila. 40% Alc./Vol. (80 proof). Trademarks owned by Gran Coramino LLC. ©2023 Gran Coramino, Jersey City, NJ. Please drink responsibly.

SOURCE Gran Coramino

In a powerful display of solidarity and determination, music legend Al B. Sure! and global civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton have come together to announce the formation of the “Health Equity in Transplantation Coalition.” This coalition aims to oppose the recent Medicare cutbacks for transplant patient blood tests that detect early signs of organ rejection, particularly affecting minority and underserved communities. With their shared commitment to justice and equality, Al B! will serve as the Executive Chairman, while Rev. Sharpton will play a vital role as the Senior Advisor.

The Impact of Medicare Coverage Restrictions:
On March 2, 2023, a private contractor known as a “Medicare Administrative Contractor” (MAC) announced restrictions on Medicare coverage for transplant patient blood tests. These tests, essential for detecting early signs of organ rejection, have been instrumental in safeguarding the health of transplant patients since 2017. However, the sudden change linking coverage to invasive surgical biopsies has caused confusion, delays, and cancellations, primarily affecting Black, Hispanic, Latino, and underserved transplant communities.

The Voice of Al B!:
As a successful organ transplant recipient and advocate for the transplant patient community, Al B! understands the importance of these blood tests firsthand. Having received a life-saving liver transplant in 2022, he emphasizes the need for accessible and non-invasive blood tests that can be conducted at home. Al B! believes that tying Medicare coverage to invasive biopsies places an undue burden on underserved transplant recipients, necessitating expensive travel, time off work for patients and caregivers, and hospital procedures.

The Support of Rev. Al Sharpton and Newt Gingrich:
Rev. Al Sharpton, renowned for his tireless work in defending the rights of minority communities, welcomes the support of former Republican Speaker Newt Gingrich in restoring Medicare coverage for surveillance blood tests. Their alignment, along with a broad bipartisan group of transplant patients, physicians, and members of Congress, highlights the urgent need to reverse these detrimental rollbacks. Rev. Sharpton emphasizes that these non-invasive tests provided a lifeline to Black, Hispanic, Latino, and underserved communities, and it is essential to expand access to better tools, not restrict them.

Addressing Disparities in Transplant Care:
Transplant care plays a critical role in the lives of Black, Hispanic, and Latino Americans, who account for 40% of transplants in the United States, exceeding their representation in the general population. The battle against organ rejection is a daily struggle, with half of all kidney transplants failing within ten years. The issue is further compounded by the severe organ shortage, disproportionately affecting these communities. Approximately 50% of individuals on the transplant waiting list are Black or Hispanic/Latino, highlighting the urgent need for equitable post-transplant care and access to transplantation.

Broad Support and National Attention:
The coalition led by Al B! and Rev. Sharpton has garnered widespread support from transplant patients and the medical community. Leading national professional transplant medical associations, including the American Society of Transplant Surgeons and the American Society of Transplantation, have expressed opposition to the Medicare coverage restrictions. Additionally, a bipartisan group of representatives in Congress, along with grassroots transplant patient group “Honor the Gift coalition,” have raised concerns and demanded answers from CMS regarding the rollbacks.

Looking Ahead:
Al B! and Rev. Sharpton express hope that the House Congressional Black Caucus and other influential bodies will join their efforts to restore Medicare coverage for these vital blood tests. To amplify their cause, hundreds of transplant recipients will gather in Washington, D.C., from December 4-6 for a series of activities, including meetings with congressional leaders and a press conference. The ultimate goal is to ensure that all transplant recipients, regardless of their background or socioeconomic status, have access to the necessary tools and care for a healthier future.

The formation of the “Health Equity in Transplantation Coalition” led by Al B. Sure! and Rev. Al Sharpton marks a significant step toward addressing the disparities faced by minority and underserved communities in transplant care. By opposing the Medicare cutbacks for transplant patient blood tests, this coalition strives to ensure that all transplant recipients have access to early detection of organ rejection, regardless of their background. Through their collective efforts, they aim to build a more equitable and inclusive healthcare system for all.

https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/news-releases/transplant-recipient–music-legend-al-b-sure–global-civil-rights-leader-rev-al-sharpton-announce-new-health-equity-in-transplantation-coalition-to-oppose-medicare-cutbacks-for-transplant-patient-blood-tests-to-detect-early-301999281.html

https://stmdailynews.com/category/the-bridge/

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