Today marks the 25th anniversary of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) HIV/AIDS Bureau’s Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act. The anniversary’s theme is “Moving Forward with CARE: Building on 25 Years of Passion, Purpose, and Excellence.” HRSA has been a leader in providing support for HIV care since the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, and is the Clinician Consultation Center’s (CCC) primary funder through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program. The Ryan White Program provides HIV-related services in the United States for those who do not have sufficient healthcare coverage or financial resources to receive comprehensive HIV-related services. It is estimated to reach half a million HIV-infected persons annually.

“This anniversary is a time to reflect on the passion that inspired the legislation, purpose that continues to drive the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program and excellence in health outcomes for people living with HIV receiving Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program-funded care,” noted Laura Cheever, MD, ScM, associate administrator of the HIV/AIDS Bureau.

As the national clinical consultation arm for the Ryan White Program’s AIDS Education and Training Centers (AETCs), the CCC reflects on more than 22 years providing telephone- and online-based consultation and guidance to healthcare providers across the country. Over the years, these CCC case and topical discussions on HIV prevention, management, and bloodborne pathogen exposure management have been challenging and inspiring. Now more than ever, great strides in HIV care make these conversations uplifting and rewarding. The CCC is looking forward to “Moving Forward with CARE”, continuing its role of supporting clinicians and working side by side toward the goal of eliminating HIV in our generation.

The CCC continues to work to improve patient health outcomes by building the capacity of healthcare providers through expert clinical consultation and education. By providing ready access to free, prompt, expert HIV prevention and management consultation for all U.S.-based healthcare providers regardless of provider experience level, the CCC helps reduce new infections, increase access to care and improve health outcomes of people living with HIV, and reduce HIV-related disparities and health inequities.

The CCC is part of the University of California, San Francisco’s Department of Family and Community Medicine (DFCM) located at San Francisco General Hospital, institutions that have been leaders in providing HIV/AIDS services since early in the epidemic. Through consultation and collaboration, the CCC supports DFCM’s mission to educate students and residents in family medicine, with an emphasis on meeting the needs of the economically disadvantaged and the medically underserved; to advance knowledge in family and community medicine; and develop methods of primary care that are effective, efficient and accessible to all people.