Teresa Heinz 's Foundation will help people on waiting lists for aid with buying AIDS drugs

[karynnj]

Heinz Family Philanthropies, Welvista and Abbott today announced a solution that begins to address the needs of patients waiting for access to HIV medications. These patients are on waiting lists in 10 states for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), which provides help and no-cost medication for those patients who cannot afford their medication, but do not qualify for Medicaid assistance.

In addition to the collaboration with Heinz Family Philanthropies, Abbott is providing a grant to Welvista, a nonprofit organization that fills prescriptions for patients who are uninsured and underinsured. This grant will help provide for a one-year program to help any patient on a state ADAP waiting list who needs an Abbott HIV medication. Abbott, the global health care company, makes protease inhibitors that are important components of many HIV combination treatment regimens.

The program eliminates all enrollment forms for these patients. Enrollment is virtually automatic for anyone certified on an ADAP waiting list and can provide direct access to no-cost Abbott HIV medications through Welvista. Patients who are on ADAP waiting lists and need to access this solution to receive their Abbott medications can request their state ADAP contact Welvista. If need exists after one year, the program may be extended.

The solution was developed by the three organizations in response to a call for help from NASTAD (the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors) to find ways to clear the waiting lists and make enrollment simple for patients. The ADAP waiting lists have increased exponentially in some areas due to state budget crises.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/heinz-family-philanthropies-welvista-and-abbott-announce-solution-to-help-patients-on-state-adap-waiting-lists-for-no-cost-hiv-medications-93079254.html

The states with waiting lists are Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Montana, North Carolina, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah and Wyoming.

[BlueIris]

1. Kick. nt

[karynnj]

2. Thanks, Iris

:hi:

[karynnj]

3. kick to let people see

[tabasco]

4. What a damn, awful shame she did not become First Lady. n/t

[karynnj]

5. For many reasons I absolutely agree

One thing that really bothers me is that the media in 2004 distorted Teresa Heinz as much as they distorted Senator Kerry. Where he had the debates, which let people see him for the intelligent, well spoken, thoughtful man he is, his wife never had such a platform.

In the years sense, I have read articles that have shed light on her accomplishments. In 2004, I knew that she met Senator Kerry when she was an NGO delegate to the Rio conference. What I didn't know was the story behind that. Teresa, leading by example and then using her foundation singlehandedly was the reason Pittsburgh, former steel town, is one of the cleanest in the country with the largest green convention building. (Contrast this to the slew of 2008 articles on Clinton's foundation deciding to take up green building as a cause.)

What I didn't hear of was that it was Teresa who led the effort of the Pittsburgh non-profits to revitalize the city.

In the 90s, it was a very depressed-looking place and very sad," said Teresa Heinz, chairwoman of the Heinz Endowments and the Heinz Family Philanthropies.

In 1991, about six months after the death of her first husband, Sen. John Heinz, in a plane crash, she arranged a conference for regional philanthropies that resulted in the foundations' collaboration. Heinz said that set Pittsburgh apart from other areas.

Like stern parents, the foundations demand results.
<skip>
The demands are varied: building green, creating jobs and sparking revitalization.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hQgwNr-lnLvj0VT-OQFehl6LIehQD9A4FSC00


In addition to this drug program, she has been involved with others in poor cities:
http://politicsandstyle.blogspot.com/2009/08/teresa-heinz.html

In 2004, when I was doing some phonebanking, I was speaking between calls to someone else from my county, who had been a Republican. She was supporting Kerry for two reasons - distrust of Bush and because having moved from PA, she was willing to trust John Kerry, because - as she put it, "Teresa would not have married him if he were at all sleazy". I suspect the reason the media gave us such a caricature of THK was that - like for this former PA woman, she would have validated her husband. (As would the incredible comments from Chris Heinz.)

As impressed as I am by Senator Kerry, there are times his wife impresses me more.

[tabasco]

7. I lived in Pittsburgh for many years

and I can attest to this woman's greatness.

[pinto]

6. Great news, great "real world" benefit.

:thumbsup:

:thumbsup: