The ARCW annual budget has dramatically increased to a record $31.4 million in revenue for the 2012 fiscal year. Driven by revenue from the new ARCW Pharmacy, the ARCW budget is one of the largest among AIDS Service Organizations in the country.

“What’s most important about this budget is that 92% of our resources will be used to provide HIV prevention, care and treatment services and only 8% will support administration and development costs,” said ARCW President & CEO Doug Nelson. “The success of the ARCW Pharmacy is accomplishing our priority goals of assuring HIV medications for all patients and generating new revenue to sustain and expand our HIV services.”

Nelson cited continuation of federal, state and local government funding and a robust private sector fundraising effort as important additional revenue that contributes to the record 2012 budget.

Nearly $26 million of the ARCW budget is allocated for medical treatment, dental care, mental health therapy, pharmacy medications and social services for HIV patients. With more than 1,600 HIV medical, dental and mental health patients, the ARCW Medical Center is the largest and fastest growing HIV health care provider in Wisconsin.
Just over $2 million of the ARCW budget is allocated for aggressive HIV prevention services throughout Wisconsin including Lifepoint needle exchange and its overdose prevention program, outreach to gay men, women and youth at risk and the statewide HIV information and referral center.

The 2012 budget supports expansion of the ARCW Behavioral Health and Wellness Clinic to Eau Claire and La Crosse, expansion of the ARCW Food Pantry to Superior, HIV health care for a projected 20% increase in patient census, renovation of the ARCW Medical Center in Kenosha and a statewide staff of 140 employees.

An ambitious ARCW private sector fundraising goal of $2.1 million has been set for the 2012 fiscal year. The goal is $300,000 more than the total that was raised during the past fiscal year that ran from September 1, 2010 through August 31, 2011.

To meet the $2.1 million goal ARCW is slated to raise $690,000 from individual donors, $435,000 from foundations and $325,000 from corporations. ARCW special events will account for $650,000 of the goal. “With the arrival of a new, dedicated major gifts officer, we expect to see good growth in individual giving.” ARCW Chief Development Officer Dan Mueller said. “The increase in foundation giving will support two, one-time capital projects that will help our patients.”

The two capital projects represent unique opportunities for fund-raising. The ARCW Medical Center in Kenosha will be renovated this year at a cost of $190,000. Improvements there will enhance the patient experience and create two new patient conference rooms. The Kenosha renovations also will feature a new patient reception and waiting area, an improved heating and cooling system and new furniture.

The second capital project will benefit ARCW Dental Clinic patients through the addition of a CEREC system for dental restorations. This $114,000 piece of equipment will transform the tooth restoration process because the state of the art CEREC equipment will make crowns, partial crowns, inlays and veneers on site completing in one dental appointment what would normally take at least two appointments without the CEREC system.

“When donors support ARCW they are contributing to high quality HIV health care and making real improvements in the lives of people living with HIV,” said Mueller. “The funds we raise support the comprehensive prevention, care and treatment services we provide for thousands of individuals.”

Practicing What We Preach - Equitable HIV Funding and Services

Over the years ARCW has been a leading advocate for equity in HIV funding and service delivery. We have always believed in the philosophy that wherever you live in Wisconsin, a person with HIV should have access to a comparable array of HIV health and social services. It is a philosophy that requires equity in funding so that HIV care and treatment funds go where HIV patients are.

In 1989 ARCW was a strong advocate for distributing the new state Life Care Services grant throughout the state based on the number of HIV cases in each region. Equity in HIV funding and services was established as a bedrock philosophy for HIV care and treatment in Wisconsin.

In the 1990s ARCW led a national campaign for equity in HIV funding. We called it the Campaign For Fairness and its purpose was to correct the inequitable distribution of federal Ryan White funds that resulted in $5,000 per AIDS case in California and only $1,000 per AIDS case in Wisconsin.

Our advocacy for equity in HIV funding continues today as we urge the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to reform its distribution of Ryan White funds to assure equitable funding per patient so that these funds go where HIV patients are.

Our commitment to equity underlies the many achievements that are reported in this edition of Lifelines. It is especially true with the early success of the ARCW Pharmacy which is enabling us to invest new revenue in the following service expansion across Wisconsin:

• The ARCW Behavioral Health and Wellness Clinic expansion to Eau Claire and La Crosse and now operating in seven cities.
  
  
• The ARCW Food Pantry expansion to Superior also operating in seven cities.
  
  
• The ARCW Medical Center opening a medical clinic in Green Bay and now operating in three regions where 70% of Wisconsin HIV patients reside.
  
  
• The opening of the ARCW Pharmacy providing HIV medications and counseling to HIV patients across the state.

In addition to these recent service expansions, we continue to provide housing counseling, rent assistance, case management and legal services for HIV patients throughout Wisconsin along with aggressive HIV prevention services including the Lifepoint needle exchange program in eleven cities.

By expanding HIV services throughout Wisconsin we are building a statewide infrastructure of equitable prevention, care and treatment services that is unique in
the country.

Recently several AIDS agencies from Minnesota and Ohio visited ARCW to learn about our new pharmacy and our integrated health care system. While they were impressed with these health care services, they were amazed at the breadth and depth of services ARCW offers through our nine service centers across Wisconsin. Neither state has a statewide service system as extensive as ours with the equitable services we provide.

As long-time advocates for equity in HIV funding and service delivery, we are practicing what we preach. And it is making a difference in the lives of people living with HIV throughout all of Wisconsin.


Doug Nelson
President & CEO
AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin

The AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin has announced that long-time President and CEO Doug Nelson will retire on April 2, 2012. Nelson has led the AIDS agency since 1988 through 24 years of the challenging AIDS epidemic.

Under Nelson’s leadership ARCW evolved from a small social service agency to a major provider of HIV health care. The agency’s annual budget increased from $266,000 to $31 million as it became Wisconsin’s largest provider of HIV medical, dental, mental health, pharmacy and social services for more than 3,400 people with HIV disease.

“I am so fortunate to have had this leadership role in the fight against AIDS and have thrived on every challenge of this historic epidemic,” Nelson said. “I am forever grateful to my colleagues and thousands of donors who have been so wonderfully supportive.”

ARCW Board of Directors Chairman Anthony Bartell, a Senior Vice President at JP Morgan Chase in Milwaukee, announced the decision of the Board to implement its executive succession plan and elevate Chief Operating Officer Mike Gifford to serve as the new ARCW President and Chief Executive Officer in April, 2012. To ensure a smooth executive succession Nelson will serve as a consultant to ARCW through the end of 2012.

“Our Board is dedicated to assuring visionary leadership from our executive and we know we have that leadership and outstanding health care management experience in Mike Gifford,” Bartell stated. “By implementing this succession plan our stakeholders, donors and supporters can be confident that ARCW will continue to be a national leader in HIV prevention, care and treatment.”

Gifford, 41, has been employed by ARCW for 18 years. He was originally hired as Director of Government Relations in 1993 and successfully advocated to increase annual government funding for ARCW by over $7 million. In 1998 he was promoted to Chief Operating Officer with responsibility for establishing the ARCW Medical Center in Milwaukee, expanding it into Kenosha and Green Bay and securing national recognition for its quality of care as a patient-centered medical home. In 2010, he led the creation of the ARCW Pharmacy, Wisconsin’s only HIV-dedicated pharmacy.

“The AIDS epidemic is one of the most serious health crises the world has seen. One in five Americans with HIV does not know they are infected and more than 600,000 people living with HIV in our country cannot access HIV health care,” Gifford said. “At stake are the lives of thousands of people throughout Wisconsin. I am honored to lead ARCW as we overcome these challenges and achieve results – early HIV diagnosis, treatment for all, excellence in clinical care and long and healthy lives for people with HIV.”

Gifford earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He and his wife, Donna, and their three children reside in Wauwatosa.

A unique HIV prevention program launched by ARCW is reaching out to young African American men who have sex with men (MSM) with life-saving HIV prevention messages. Many Men, Many Voices, or 3MV, conducts multi-session substance abuse and HIV prevention interventions in an effort to combat alarming rates of HIV infection among African American men in Milwaukee.

“A host of cultural, educational and socioeconomic factors have combined to drive the HIV epidemic among young Black men over the past decade,” ARCW prevention specialist and 3MV program leader Charles Smart said. “Through 3MV we provide the resources and information this traditionally underserved community needs to make better decisions about their health. Our work will help reverse the upward trend in the rate of new HIV infections among young African American MSM.”

HIV continues to have a substantial, disproportionate impact on communities of color, especially among young people of color under the age of 29. New cases of HIV among young, Black MSM accounted for 38% of all new cases in Milwaukee in 2010 compared to just 6% of new Milwaukee cases in 2000. The total number of cases overall in Milwaukee during this time period remained stable.

“By engaging and equipping leaders of the young, African American MSM community with information about HIV transmission and the importance of getting tested for HIV, ARCW will be able to better reach a larger number of individuals who are at the highest risk for contracting HIV,” Smart said. “Ultimately, through 3MV, we will be working to reduce HIV stigma and increase HIV testing among a demographic that historically has been very difficult to reach with traditional HIV prevention programs.”

Many Men, Many Voices is funded with a five-year, $1.5 million grant from the United States Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. ARCW was selected as one of 27 organizations nationwide that received this grant through a competitive application process.

The ARCW Medical Center continues to be the fastest growing HIV health care provider in Wisconsin with unprecedented growth in medical patient enrollment. During the most recent 12-month period 278 new HIV patients elected to receive their medical care from the outstanding team of health care providers at the ARCW Medical Center bringing the total number of medical patients served by ARCW to 1,214.

“Our commitment to providing high quality health care is not only reflected in our recognition by the National Committee for Quality Assurance for as a Patient Centered Medical Home, it is also reflected in the ever-increasing number of HIV patients choosing to get their health care at the ARCW Medical Center,” said ARCW Chief Operating Officer Mike Gifford.

The new ARCW medical clinic in Green Bay has enrolled 82 new patients from northeastern Wisconsin. With locations in Green Bay, Kenosha and Milwaukee, the ARCW Medical Center is located within a short drive for approximately 70% of Wisconsin’s HIV patients.

“HIV patients in northeastern Wisconsin now have access to the full compliment of ARCW Medical Center services including medical, dental, mental health and pharmacy services available to them in one location,” Gifford said. “The combination of convenience and high quality services makes it even easier for HIV patients to select the ARCW Medical Center as their medical home.” Consistent with historic trends, ARCW is anticipating a 20% increase in the number of HIV medical patients receiving their health care at ARCW in 2012. Approximately 27% of all ARCW medical patients are indigent, with no health insurance or ability to pay for their care.

“ARCW will always be committed to making sure everyone with HIV has access to the medical care they need to live a long and healthy life,” Gifford said. “With the ever-increasing demand for ARCW services by an ever-increasing number of HIV patients, we will continue to rely on the generous support of donors and aggressive pursuit of limited public sector funds to keep our doors open to everyone with HIV in Wisconsin.”

Well known as Milwaukee’s best holiday party, ARCW will host the 2011 Jolly Holly Folly on Sunday, December 4 at the InterContinental Milwaukee.

“Jolly Holly Folly is our most festive fundraiser and this year we are aiming for a record of 30 of Milwaukee’s finest restaurants serving signature dishes to hundreds of guests,” said ARCW Chief Development Officer Dan Mueller. “And to cap off the evening we have a private performance made possible by our friends at the Milwaukee Rep. You won’t want to miss Jolly Holly Folly this year!”

The Rep will perform the Pulitizer Prize-winning rock musical Next to Normal which tells the story of one family’s coming to terms with its past and bravely facing its future. The Rep is one of the first regional theaters in the country to produce the show following its long Broadway run and National Tour.

New to Jolly Holly Folly this year will be a VIP seating area offering exclusive access to food from Kil@wat, the ChopHouse and Mason Street Grill. VIP ticket purchasers also receive premiere theater seating.

Jolly Holly Folly tickets include food from the restaurants, beer and wine and the private theater performance. Group ticket discounts of 10% are available with purchase of four tickets or more.

The ARCW Pharmacy wasn’t supposed to reach 1,000 enrolled HIV patients for two more years according to its business plan that projected reaching this milestone at the end of 2013. After only eight months of operation, however, 1,053 patients have chosen to purchase their HIV medications from the ARCW Pharmacy and its HIV experienced pharmacists.

ARCW Pharmacy revenue is 60% higher than goal and reinvestment of pharmacy revenue to meet the needs of the increasing patient census at ARCW is significantly ahead of schedule.

Every day approximately 230 prescriptions are filled for HIV patients by ARCW pharmacists. More than 31,000 prescriptions having been filled since the pharmacy opened in March, 2011.

“This is an amazing success story,” said ARCW Chief Operating Officer Mike Gifford. “Rapid patient enrollment has meant new revenue to expand HIV services. It also means that every patient gets life-saving HIV medications regardless of ability to pay.”

Gifford cited the HIV experience of pharmacists Rick Fons, Nick Olson and Jason Jenders as a primary reason for the rapid patient enrollment in the ARCW Pharmacy. “Patients know that our pharmacists have dedicated their careers to HIV care and they truly appreciate the special counseling our pharmacists provide on side effects, drug interactions and their advice for adhering to what can be difficult medication regimens.”

Pharmacist Nick Olson is often present in the ARCW Medical Center to provide immediate counseling for patients during their medical appointments. His clinical presence also allows him to provide convenient medication consultations with ARCW physicians and nurse practitioners.

“Having pharmacy consults and counseling immediately available to us in the medical clinic enhances the quality of HIV care we deliver,” said ARCW Medical Director John Fangman, MD. “Our patients have a great opportunity to achieve treatment success.”

In addition to serving patients at the ARCW Medical Center the ARCW Pharmacy also serves HIV patients from other clinical settings throughout Wisconsin. During its eight months of operation 366 providers not affiliated with ARCW have written prescriptions for patients who have chosen to get their medications at the ARCW Pharmacy. Patients in Greater Wisconsin receive their medications through next-day home delivery and have telephone access to ARCW pharmacists for medication counseling.

More than 2,000 walkers helped raise a 12% increase in revenue for the 22nd annual AIDS Walk Wisconsin held on October 1 along the downtown Milwaukee lakefront. This year’s Walk was chaired by Green Bay linebacker and world champion Clay Matthews. Matthews, who was preparing for the Packers match up with Denver the next day, rallied the walkers from a video message from the locker room at historic Lambeau Field.

“There have been many inspirational speeches given in this locker room over the years,” Matthews said. “I hope all of you are inspired to continue on in the fight against AIDS.”

Matthews said one of the most important facts he’s learned about AIDS having served as Honorary Chair is that we are years away from a cure. He urged walkers to stay loyal and be determined to help raise funds for the long run. Determination is a subject Matthews knows well. “When you are talking determination, now you’re on my turf,” he said. “I went from a walk-on student athlete at USC to a first round draft pick with the Packers to a World Champion. You have to be organized, have passion and commit to do all you can to progress. It is a lesson for all of us in the fight against AIDS.” The Walk’s top fund raising walkers know what Clay Matthews is talking about. Harold and Elaine Goetz of Eau Claire said they started raising pledges for AIDS Walk Wisconsin in 1995 after their son, Gregg, died with AIDS. “In the 17 years since Gregg left us, we are proud to have raised $60,235.”

Since it’s inception in 1990, AIDS Walk Wisconsin has raised $10.4 million for HIV prevention, care and treatment services. AIDS Walk 2012 is scheduled for Saturday, October 6.

The ARCW Medical Center and the new ARCW Pharmacy have drawn the interest of AIDS agencies from Minnesota and Ohio that are considering merger of operations and development and enhancement of HIV health care services.

In September, the Minnesota AIDS Project, Hennepin County Medical Center HIV Clinic, Rural AIDS Action Network and Clare Housing traveled to Milwaukee to tour the ARCW Medical Center and Pharmacy and receive an in-depth presentation on the historic mergers that resulted in the ARCW statewide system and the evolution of health care services at ARCW. Clinical and program leaders from ARCW joined the Minnesota visitors for a thorough discussion on the advantages and challenges of operating an integrated health and social service system.

In October, AIDS Resource Center Ohio visited ARCW for a comprehensive tutorial on the development of the ARCW Medical Center and the ARCW Pharmacy. The Ohio agency recently achieved a merger of the AIDS Service Organizations in Columbus and Dayton and is exploring the feasibility of establishing health care services to compliment its historic social service operations.

“The HIV medical home model of care that we have achieved at ARCW through integration of our health care, pharmacy and social services is gaining favorable attention from AIDS agencies looking to the future,” said Doug Nelson, ARCW President and CEO. “We’re proud to be a leader and happy to share our integrated approach to HIV health care.”

ARCW Advocacy Protects Funding for HIV Health Care

With a slow economy and a difficult state budget, reductions in state spending occurred throughout all departments of state government when Wisconsin’s new biennial budget passed. In an effort to protect essential funding for the ARCW Medical Center and other HIV care and treatment services in Wisconsin, ARCW staff met several times with the new leaders of the state Department of Health Services which resulted in their commitment to sustain funding for the crucial Michael Johnson Life Care and Early Intervention Services Grant.

“In Wisconsin we are fortunate that elected and public officials from across the political spectrum recognize the importance of assuring health care for everyone with HIV,” ARCW Director of Government Relations Bill Keeton said. “The bipartisan commitment evidenced by the Walker Administration and members of the state legislature continue to assure access to health care for all HIV patients and the opportunity for them to live long, healthy lives.”

In addition to protecting state grant funding, the Department of Health Services in January made a commitment to submit a Medicaid state plan amendment to enhance reimbursement rates for patients utilizing the HIV medical home services of the ARCW Medical Center. The submission of this state plan amendment is the culmination of two years of advocacy by ARCW with members of the state legislature and two different administrations to make sure Wisconsin is maximizing federal health care revenue available for HIV health care services.

New ARCW Dental Clinic Equipment Will Enhance Patient Care

The ARCW Dental Clinic will soon provide patients with same-day tooth restoration for inlays, onlays, crowns and veneers thanks to the addition of a CEREC machine. CEREC stands for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics and is state of the art technology enabling ARCW dentists to create materials for tooth restoration on-site requiring only one appointment.

“This new equipment means high quality dental care for our patients,” Dental Director Nicole Martin, DDS said. “The restorations are well-fitting, long-lasting and strong with excellent tooth color matching. There is always high patient satisfaction with the CEREC equipment.”

CEREC technology utilizes 3D Computer Aided Design (CAD) and photography to create a highly accurate, digital model of the tooth that needs restoration. This information is then sent to an on-site ARCW milling machine that will create the restoration from a block of material. The restoration is then bonded to the tooth using resin cement. All of this is accomplished at one patient appointment.

ARCW Welcomes New Program Leaders

Mandy Kastner - Director of Quality Assurance

Mandy will lead the quality assurance program of ARCW working with health care providers and social service staff to monitor program performance and meet quality of care benchmarks. Prior to joining ARCW Mandy worked at the Medical College of Wisconsin Infectious Disease Division and the Midwest AIDS Training and Education Center. Mandy’s career has been dedicated to assuring high quality clinical research and the training of health care providers who work with HIV patients.

Guy Alicea-Reed - Director of Food Services

Guy will direct the ARCW Food Pantry system with pantries in seven communities throughout Wisconsin. Guy comes to ARCW from the Salvation Army where he spent the past 19 years, most recently directing its food pantries and meal programs at multiple locations throughout the Milwaukee area. Guy’s experience includes developing strong collaborations with diverse community agencies.