Jeanne White-Ginder to Address National Conference 30 Years After Ryan White Program, Named After Her Son, Was Created to Help Those With HIV/AIDS

At the start of the new year, the Ryan White Clinics for 340B Access (RWC-340B), a national organization of HIV/AIDS providers receiving support under the Ryan White CARE Act and participating in the 340B drug discount program, will host its second national conference at the GalleryOne DoubleTree hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on January 6-7, 2020.

A special keynote presentation will be given by Jeanne White-Ginder, the mother of Ryan White who was a courageous 13 year old student in Indiana diagnosed with AIDS following a blood transfusion in December 1984 who faced AIDS-related discrimination in his Indiana community while trying to return to school. Jeanne White-Ginder fought for his right to attend school, gaining international attention as a voice of reason about HIV/AIDS. At the age of 18, Ryan White died on April 8, 1990, just months before Congress passed the bill that bears his name – the Ryan White CARE (Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency) Act.

Taking place in South Florida, the epicenter of the domestic AIDS epidemic, this gathering of the nation’s top HIV/AIDS focused providers will feature local and national leaders addressing the unique challenges facing Ryan White clinics, sexually transmitted disease clinics, federally qualified health centers and other grantees and sub-grantees dedicated to caring for people living with HIV/AIDS. The program will focus on the role that the 340B program plays in ending the HIV epidemic. With 340B savings, Ryan White clinics are able to stretch their grant funds, offer a wider range of services, and improve the quality of care persons living with HIV/AIDS receive.

Administered by the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), the federal 340B Drug Discount Program allows safety net providers, including HIV/AIDS clinics receiving funding through the Ryan White program, to obtain prescription drugs at below-retail prices. The program was established with bipartisan support as part of the Veterans Health Care Act of 1992. The 340B program is not funded by taxpayers, but rather is a discount that drug manufacturers must provide through an agreement with the government as a condition of Medicaid and Medicare covering their drugs.

Shannon Stephenson, President of the Coalition and Executive Director of CEMPA and RWC-340B president, said, “RWC-340B brings a great deal of substantive knowledge, expertise, and energy to the collective work to protect and preserve 340B for all covered entities.” Since its inception, RWC-340B has expanded to include 49 organizations located in 22 states and the District of Columbia. Members of RWC-340B advocate for the interests of fellow 340B Ryan White providers, including actively lobbying in state and federal arenas.

Stephenson added, “This conference will host local and national advocates to discuss critical 340B program updates, and provide attendees with an invaluable opportunity to learn about best practices being implemented in Ryan White clinics throughout the nation. Together, we can ensure the 340B program remains strong so that it can support essential services needed to treat the HIV population and to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.”

Organized in 2013 by a group of providers seeking to preserve the ability of the 340B program to serve those living with HIV/AIDS, RWC-340B is a national organization of HIV/AIDS providers receiving support under the Ryan White CARE Act who participate in the 340B drug discount program. To learn more about the Ryan White Clinics for 340B Access and the national conference, visit RWC340B.ORG.

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