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U.S. Business Action to End HIV: May 2024 Action Report
Updates and resources to help you gear up for National HIV Testing Day
We've had an exciting and eventful month! In this issue, we're thrilled to bring you a wealth of updates and resources to help you gear up for National HIV Testing Day. Plus, don’t miss our exclusive leadership profile featuring Kevin Host from Walmart.
Actions From Members
Walgreens and KFF’s Greater Than HIV team are gearing up for their 14th National HIV Testing Day activation, when they will welcome 350 health departments and community organizations into 550 Walgreens stores nationwide on Thursday, June 27 to offer free HIV testing and information. Some stores also will offer free rapid syphilis and/or hepatitis C testing. Visit greaterthan.org/walgreens to find testing locations, and share this opportunity with your employees!
Mercer’s Tracy Watts discusses the importance of prioritizing HIV awareness in the workplace to advance health equity goals in her recent blog post. She also provides guidance on improving access to testing and treatment, and utilizing resources like U.S. Business Action to End HIV.
Avita Care Solution's Q Care Plus and Grindr are teaming up for the inaugural Grindr Rides America Tour later this month. The Grindr bus will visit 10 Pride events across the country, with the Q Care Plus team promoting LGBTQ+ and gender-affirming sexual health and wellness, including HIV and STI prevention, screening and treatment.
On April 25, the Health Action Alliance hosted the second annualNational Employer Summit: Cultivating Health Equity in the Modern Workplace, with speakers from the Deloitte Health Equity Institute, Mercer and Chevron sharing strategies for investing in health equity. The summit also showcased how addressing HIV in the workplace can serve as a model for tackling other health equity challenges. Leaders from over 300 companies joined the event. Special thanks to our sponsors, Gilead Sciences, ViiV Healthcare, Ada Health and MISTR. If you missed the summit, check out the recording and key takeaways here.
Last month at Asembia's AXS24 Summit, Mario participated in a panel hosted by Walmart together with the Elton John AIDS Foundation and Virginia Board of Pharmacy, where they discussed overcoming barriers to providing HIV services in community pharmacies.
Caroline and Kristen Tjaden from ViiV Healthcare joined leaders from Amazon earlier this month at the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus Crescendo Gala where they connected with local corporate and HIV community leaders, including San Francisco AIDS Foundation CEO Dr. Tyler TerMeer and Nick Wagner.
On May 15, the Coalition presented to the CDC’s Division of HIV Prevention as part of its TRIP (Turning Research Into Practice) series. Mario moderated a panel about the power of the private sector in our nation's HIV response with Tracy Watts from Mercer, Brad McElya from Walgreens, Jonathan Kirkland from Match Group/BLK, and Tristan Schukraft from MISTR.
Our new local managing partner for the Houston Chapter, the Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce, hosted a member breakfast last week with a theme of “Community & Connections.” Mario attended and shared the vision of the Houston Chapter with nearly 100 attendees, including all major Houston area sports teams, Amazon and Shell. The first Houston Chapter meeting will be on Wednesday, Sept. 25!
On May 16, the Coalition hosted the 2nd annual National HIV Testing Day Workshop for Employers. Special guests included HIV Leadership Advisory Council Member Katie Rutherford, Kamilla Zapata from Walgreens who helps lead their Greater Than HIV/Walgreens National HIV Community Partnership, and Shawnte Rothschild, an employee resource group leader from CVS Health who shared best practices for engaging ERGs/BRGs on HIV awareness days and throughout the year.
On May 22, we hosted the Q2 Atlanta Chapter meeting with OUT Georgia Business Alliance. Atlanta-based employers joined community leaders to share recent work and hear from Emory’s COMPASS Center, which presented new research about the Atlanta HIV epidemic. If you missed the meeting and want to view the recording,let us know. TheQ3 Atlanta Chapter Meeting will be onTuesday, Sept. 10 at noon at the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.
Opportunities for Action
National HIV Testing Day (NHTD) is observed each year on June 27 to highlight the importance of HIV testing, knowing your status, and getting care and treatment. This year’s theme is “Level up your self-love: Check your status.”
Do you know how your company will recognize NHTD this year? Internal or external messages? Employee resource group activations? Supporting local community events? If you aren’t yet sure, consider the six actions outlined in our refreshed National HIV Testing Day Playbook for Employers.
Thursday, May 30 at 2 p.m. ET marks the second meeting of the Coalition's new HIV Testing Cohort. We will discuss opportunities for group collaboration on communications, policy engagement and innovation efforts to expand access to HIV testing. If you are an HIV testing manufacturer, distributor, intersect with the HIV testing ecosystem, or are an employer and simply want to get involved, we hope to see you there! (Email for registration info.)
On Thursday, June 20 at 1 p.m. ET, we will host the first meeting of our new Government Affairs Cohort, which will explore opportunities for leaders to coordinate and collaborate on federal and state HIV policy priorities. Mark your calendars! (Email for registration info.)
“Leading by Example” is a monthly 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.
Kevin Host Senior Vice President of Pharmacy Walmart
What is Walmart most proud of so far regarding your work to address HIV?
Walmart began specialty pharmacy operations in 2003. Our specialty pharmacy helps show our commitment to helping our customers across an entire spectrum of health needs. Our focus on HIV care is highlighted in our “Specialty Pharmacies of the Community” (SPOC) stores. These are select Walmart pharmacies focusing on core areas, including viral infections and inflammatory conditions. We currently have 89 HIV-focused SPOCs open and serving communities in 11 states, including Colorado, Nevada, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, New Jersey, New York, Florida, Georgia and Connecticut.
Our patients are dealing with complex, often life-altering conditions that require high-touch clinical support. Walmart is a name people trust, and thus we are well-positioned to be the trusted pharmacy to assist patients who are taking specialty medications.
In November 2023, Walmart also opened a new, state-of-the-art specialty pharmacy fill facility in Orlando, Florida. This facility fills specialty prescriptions, shipping to all 50 states and Puerto Rico, expanding access to specialty prescriptions nationwide. The facility has the capacity to serve over 23,000 patients a week, allowing Walmart to fill three times more prescriptions than our previous specialty facility.
Also last year, on World AIDS Day, we launched an HIV screening pilot at two Walmart pharmacies in Virginia, which offered free HIV screenings and results during the pilot phase. This is important because where there is awareness and accessible options, there can be proper care. These two HIV screening locations are also HIV-focused SPOCs as well. I’m excited and energized by how our teams are making meaningful impacts in the communities we serve.
Why is it important for Walmart to be part of the U.S. Business Action to End HIV coalition?
The momentum behind this team effort is inspiring, and the work is making a difference. We are honored to do our part.
In addition to the growth behind our HIV-focused specialty pharmacies, we continue to collaborate with the Elton John AIDS Foundation by developing a provider training program for our pharmacists and other Health & Wellness associates.
Health & Wellness has an opportunity to bring Walmart’s mission of helping bring “live better” to life. Our priority is to do just that, and we believe we bring live better to life through patient care obsessed associates.
The U.S. Business Action to End HIV is touching communities all over the country, and I look forward to reaching our goal together.
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