Tampa FL - On behalf of the Florida Department of
Health in conjunction with the AIDS Education and Training Center (AETC),
Florida AIDS Action (FLAA) is pleased to announce the first annual Red
Ribbon Excellence Awards winners.
Broken down into five categories,
awards were presented to the following individuals/organizations: ·
Unsung Hero - presented to individual/organization for outstanding work in
advocating for equitable HIV/AIDS policies. Awarded to Isaah Harris, Miami,
for more than 15 years of advocacy work, including serving as chair of the
HOPWA Program, Member of the Miami-Dade County HIV Partnership, Community
Coalition, Prevention Community, Care and Treatment. · Guiding Light -
Presented to an individual/organization that has shown tremendous leadership
in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Awarded to Susan Terry, President &
CEO/Community AIDS Network, Inc. (CAN) for establishing an outpatient
clinic/system that continues to meet the growing needs of Sarasota's
HIV/AIDS community; from 80 patients in 1991, to 500 patients today. ·
Make the Change - Awarded to an individual/organization for extraordinary
efforts in prevention/ education services. Presented to CENTAUR for
providing an array of quality programs and services, including the award
winning outreach program "Teen Act." · Highest acHIeVment - Presented to
an individual/organization that has consistently provided outstanding
services in the field of HIV/AIDS. Awarded to Joyce C. Heath for nine years
of work developing HIV/AIDS prevention, education, early intervention and
health care policies that compliment the Ryan White CARE Act. An advocate,
she has been successful in broadening community networking concerning
HIV/AIDS prevention, education, intervention and health care in Volusia and
Flagler counties. · Healing Hearts/Helping Hands - Presented to an
individual/organization for providing exceptional care and treatment for
persons living with/affected by HIV/AIDS. Awarded to TAMPA Care and Pinellas
Care Clinics. Funded in part by Ryan White, St. Joseph's Treatment and
Management Program for AIDS Care (TAMPA Care) opened in July 1995 to serve
100 patients. Within nine months, the 200th patient had received care. In
response to the number of patients from Pinellas County, 1/3rd, a sister
clinic was opened in 1997 in St. Petersburg. From diagnosis to end-stage
AIDS, both clinics provide state-of-the-art care for persons living with
HIV/AIDS, including access to clinical trails/research
medications.
The awards were presented during a special ceremony held at
the annual AETC Conference held last week in Orlando. Nominees were required
to work in Florida but could be from the public or private sector and
include physicians, nurses, outreach workers, case managers, health
educators, counselors, researchers, laboratorians, program managers and
coordinators, pharmacists, community-based organizations, clinics, public
officials and others active in the field of HIV/AIDS.
For more
information on the Red Ribbon Excellence Awards, or HIV/AIDS public policy
and advocacy issues, please contact Florida AIDS Action by phone at: (813)
232-5886, or by email at: information@floridaaidsaction.org.
Florida AIDS Action, the only statewide nonprofit HIV/AIDS
agency in Florida, promotes social change through community planning,
education, public policy research and advocacy. For more information, call
(813) 232-5886, or visit on the web at www.floridaaidsaction.org.