Vivent Health strongly condemns OMB directive to freeze life-saving federal grants
As one of the nation’s leading providers of HIV care, treatment and prevention, Vivent Health strongly condemns the directive from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) ordering a freeze on critical, life-saving federal grants. This decision will have devastating consequences for the health and well-being of the communities we serve, namely our friends, family members, neighbors and people in our communities most disproportionately impacted by HIV.
“For decades, federal grants have been the backbone of our ability to address health disparities in our country and ensure that everyone, regardless of income, health status, or background, has access to the healthcare and social support they deserve,” said Brandon Hill, PhD, President and CEO of Vivent Health. “This freeze places lives at risk and creates senseless and needless chaos for Americans living with HIV striving to live healthy lives.”
This abrupt action threatens to disrupt the HIV healthcare system, access to HIV medications such as ART and PrEP, federal housing assistance, behavioral and mental health services, and critical HIV/STI prevention initiatives that real people rely on for their health. Across the United States, more than 576,000 people living with HIV rely on care and treatment services funded by the Ryan White program, including more than 10,000 Vivent Health patients and clients. An additional 54,000 households receive assistance to keep a roof over their heads through the Housing Opportunities for People with HIV/AIDS (HOPWA) program, including more than 400 clients and families served by Vivent Health each month. Tens of millions of Americans are reached through HIV and STI prevention programs funded by the CDC. This pause in funding impacts all these individuals and especially jeopardizes essential services for underserved Americans including Black and Latinx communities, gender diverse people, and young sexual minority men. These are the very communities that have been prioritized in the national fight to end the HIV epidemic.
“We urgently call on the OMB and the administration to immediately reverse this harmful directive and ensure funding to federal grantees proceeds without interruption,” said Bill Keeton, Vivent Health Chief Advocacy Officer. “We signed a contract with our government funders and made a commitment to carry out lifesaving programs to keep people living with HIV healthy and end the HIV epidemic. We fully expect that the Federal government honors the commitment it made to us and the people we serve.”
And, while a Federal judge has placed a temporary restraining order or block related to implementation of this directive, the White House has issued conflicting and confusing statements related to today’s recision memo and the recently issued Executive Orders. To this end, it remains unclear how the Administration will otherwise seek to accomplish theExecutive Order’s means through different avenues.
During this period of unnecessary uncertainty, all Vivent Health programs, services, and locations will continue to provide services as usual, adhering to existing federal contractual obligations and supporting the public health needs of our communities. Further, we remain committed to advocating for the rights of the communities we serve and will continue to fight to ensure that no individual is left behind in the effort to end the HIV epidemic. We urge our allies and partners to join us in speaking out against this directive and to demand accountability from our federal leaders.