North Idaho AIDS Coalition receives $72,000 grant

COEUR d'ALENE - The North Idaho AIDS Coalition in Coeur d'Alene recently received a $72,000 grant from the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program.

Since Ryan White funding is on a four-year cycle, the total grant award will likely be $288,000.

"This huge grant gives us some breathing room at NIAC," said Executive Director Amy Dreps. "Only a month ago when I was hired we were concerned where the money for copy paper and the telephone bill were coming from. We still need to work hard to find funding to fill the gaps but having medical case management fully funded is a relief to all of us at NIAC."

NIAC provides links to care, support, and advocacy for individuals infected with the HIV virus and their support groups, usually composed of families and friends.

It provides medical case management services in North Idaho and has been awarded grants for the past 12 years in smaller amounts.

"Now that our medical case management will be fully funded by grant money for the first time, we can devote our limited resources to other areas in our mission statement that we have been unable to implement fully," said Board President Donna Holden.

The money comes from the Family Planning, STD, HIV and Ryan White programs of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.

"Medical case management services are crucial access points for persons living with HIV/AIDS in North Idaho," said Bebe Thompson, coordinator for the Ryan White program. "NIAC has provided these services for years and as the numbers of individuals living with HIV/AIDS in Idaho continues to grow, so do these agencies that serve them and we are fortunate to have NIAC be able to step forward."