August Action Report

We are pleased to bring you the August edition of the Action Report, where we share the latest news, partnerships, and initiatives from U.S. Business Action to End HIV. This month, we highlight recent member actions, preview our exciting fall events line-up, as well as a new Leading By Example spotlight featuring Paramount Pictures.  

Actions From Members

• Welcome new members: Blue Agilis, Grindr Inc., IHD Labs, and Previon

• Last month MISTR and Walmart announced a new program in Atlanta, which came together through the Atlanta Chapter, to bring free HIV test kits to seven Walmart stores in Georgia, which has the nation's third-highest rate of new HIV infections. Customers can ask for a testing kit at the participating Walmart pharmacies, follow instructions and receive their results in five to seven days. MISTR then offers a connection to health care services if results are positive. The pilot program launched on July 25 and is available while supplies last. (Also covered by Fast Company and Axios).

• Jason Panda, CEO of B Brand, attended a recent White House Rising Leaders Summit to help inspire the next generation of HIV leaders. The Summit convened over 50 young career professionals from communities of color and the LGBTQ+ community who are emerging leaders in public health. Jason was invited to share his experience as a business

leader and entrepreneur, and the importance of public-private partnerships in driving innovative solutions. "The event was incredible", said Jason, "I had the chance to share my experiences with some truly inspiring rising leaders, and the energy in the room was fantastic. The discussions were powerful, and I believe we’ve set the stage for some meaningful progress in the fight against HIV.”

• Healthvana contributed to one of the most extensive studies examining how digital tools can support people with HIV, which included 40,000 patients across 15 states. The research showed that patients were 7.4 times more likely to go to their next appointment when using the online patient engagement platform. This provides a strong case for the potential of these technologies to retain people in care. Read more about the announcement.
  
  
• ViiV Healthcare hosted a panel at the 2024 National Association of Black Journalists about the critical need for HIV prevention in the Black community. The panel stressed the importance of repositioning HIV prevention as a social justice issue and emphasized the role Black journalists can play in redefining storytelling around the disease.

Actions From the Coaltion

• As we prepare for the Houston Business Action to End HIV Inaugural Convening on September 25, we are pleased to announce local leaders who have been appointed to the Houston HIV Community Advisory Council to help guide the work of this local initiative. We are pleased to welcome Jeffrey Campbell, Chief Executive Officer of Allies In Hope; Avery Belyeu, Chief Executive Officer of The Montrose Center; Jill Jahns, Director of Health Navigation at Legacy Community Health; and Ian Haddock, Executive Director of The Normal Anomaly Initiative. These HIV leaders bring years of experience and insights to this work, and we look forward to working with them as we engage Houston employers through the local chapter starting this fall.

Opportunities for Action

• Tuesday, August 20, was Southern HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, a day to bring national attention to the urgency of addressing the disproportionate impact of HIV on the region. Researchers say that many things—including social determinants of health—contribute to these rates. Even though the awareness day has passed, it’s never too late to learn more and share knowledge with others.

HIV in the News

• Senate Appropriators Maintain Funding for Domestic HIV & Hepatitis Programs, HIV + Hep Policy Institute (August 2)
  
  
• CMS has published a PrEP NCD informational webpage to help pharmacies and other affected parties to prepare now for the expected transition of coverage from Medicare Part D to Medicare Part B for Preexposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) using antiretroviral drugs to prevent HIV, CMS (August 16)
  
  
• Federal judge says US military cannot turn away enlistees who are HIV-positive, CNN (August 22)

Leading by Example

“Leading by Example” is a series from U.S. Business Action to End HIV highlighting inspiring business leaders who are accelerating progress toward an end to the HIV epidemic in the U.S.

‍Jennifer Lynch
‍Senior Vice President of Global Corporate Social Responsibility and Internal Communication
‍Paramount Pictures

Why do you believe it's essential for businesses to play a role in our nation's efforts to end the HIV epidemic?

Now more than ever, there is mounting importance for companies to increase their attention on community investments. Personally, I believe our corporation has an obligation to pursue attainable and enduring goals for our employees and the world at large, which includes living a happy and healthy life.

What is Paramount Pictures most proud of regarding your work to address HIV?

Paramount Pictures has four major areas of community investment – Education, the Environment, Volunteerism, and HIV/AIDS. Nearly 40 years ago, Paramount Pictures hosted the first AIDS WALK from which our Paramount Fights HIV/AIDS initiative was born. When I arrived at Paramount Pictures more than a decade ago – the full focus of our work on AIDS was related to the annual AIDS walk in the Fall. I felt the issue and potential for impact was more deserving than just addressing the AIDS epidemic once a year. So perhaps what I am most proud of are the nearly monthly conversations, activations, and educational opportunities that Paramount Pictures now makes available to our employees and non-profit partners.  

Why is it important for Paramount Pictures to be part of the U.S. Business Action to End HIV coalition?

There is power in partnership. More than once, it has been suggested that our HIV initiative should be broadened to a more amorphous “health and wellness” platform. I have always felt that Paramount Pictures is uniquely positioned to advocate for those affected by HIV/AIDS because of the leadership the studio showcased during a time when the issue was not popular and indeed not readily accepted. Being part of an alliance of other businesses that have chosen to focus on this issue provides incredible opportunities to learn, build, and partner, which is necessary if we are going to end the epidemic.

What personally motivated you to become involved in working to address HIV?

When I was pursuing my master’s at the NYU Graduate School of Public Service, I worked a night/weekend job at a gay bar in New York City to pay my tuition. Week in and week out, one by one, my favorite customers stopped coming in. At first, I assumed they were on vacation or just out of town until I realized they were dying from AIDS and I would never see them again. The feeling of hopelessness overwhelmed me, so I started raising money for the NYC AIDS charity, God’s Love We Deliver – just so I could feel like I was doing something. But that feeling of losing so many so quickly never left me. I never wanted to feel that sense of hopelessness again, and so we do the work; we educate, and we empower our employees about HIV.    

Read Jennifer's complete profile

Coming Up

• August 27: Mario will be speaking during the Global Black Pride Health and Human Rights Conference Panel on HIV Criminalization and Stigma (Atlanta)
  
  
• September 10: Q3 Atlanta Chapter Meeting (Atlanta) - Register
  
  
• September 14: We are hosting a breakfast at USCHA from 7:30-9am (New Orleans) - Save the date; invitations to come!
  
  
• September 19: Q3 National Coalition Meeting (virtual)
  
  
• September 25: Houston Business Action to End HIV Inaugural Convening (Houston) - Register
  ‍
  
• October 7-10: Out & Equal 2024 Workplace Summit (Orlando) - We are hosting a session - let us know if you will be there!
  
  
• November 21: Annual Coalition Meeting (Atlanta) - Save the date!

Thank you for your commitment and leadership. Let's keep up the momentum!

‍