Alabama Regional Medical Services Awarded $70,000 from COMPASS
Initiative ® to Expand Efforts to Combat HIV in Birmingham
Funding is Part of Gilead Sciences COMPASS Initiative ® to Curb HIV
Infection Rate, Reduce Stigma in the SouthBIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA (Dec. 6, 2019) – Alabama Regional Medical Services has received a $70,000 Transformative Grant from the Sustain Wellbeing Compass Coordinating Center as part of the COMPASS Initiative® to build on community-driven solutions that are reducing stigma and improving the health and wellbeing of those impacted by HIV in the South. Alabama Regional Medical Services will use the funds to strengthening the organizations competency to work within the HIV/AIDS and at-risk communities with the ultimate purpose of opening a wellness center that would be open to those in the community with HIV/AIDS and those at risk of contracting the virus.
“With the increase in HIV cases in the southeast we have to do something to educate people on preventative measures. Alabama Regional Medical Services is proud to be a resource hub,” said, Anthony Gardner CEO of Alabama Regional Medical Services. “Together we can combat HIV in the Southern Region.”
The South faces a growing epidemic of HIV/AIDS. Despite being home to only 38 percent of the country’s population, Southern states experienced 52 percent of new HIV diagnoses in 2017.
Due to societal disparities in the South—including poverty, housing stability and food security—the epidemic represents a complex challenge that requires a variety of community-based solutions. COMPASS invests in community organizations that build awareness, reduce stigma, advance education, share knowledge and promote the well-being of individuals affected by HIV.
The COMPASS Initiative® is awarding more than $2.3 million in Transformative Grants to 40 organizations. This one-year grant will help address inequalities within the HIV epidemic by increasing organizational capacity, reducing stigma and promoting wellbeing, mental health, and trauma-informed care.
“We believe in going where the need is greatest, listening to those working on the front lines and providing them the resources they need to scale their success,” said Korab Zuka, Vice President of Public Affairs at Gilead Sciences. “Nowhere is that truer than in the Southern U.S., where HIV infection rates are increasing and finding access to care can be difficult. Last year our transformative grantees helped reduce stigma, train healthcare professionals and expand access in rural communities. We’re excited to see these new grantees bring their creativity and tenacity to end HIV once and for all.”
About the Gilead COMPASS Initiative®
The Gilead COMPASS Initiative® is a 10-year, more than $100 million commitment in the Southern United States supporting organizations working to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The corporate giving program of the Initiative has a threefold mission: to build capacity and increase knowledge sharing among community-based, underfunded organizations in Southern states; to explore interventions that appropriately respond to patients’ needs, including the bundling or reframing of mental healthcare, as well as the intersection between substance use, the opioid epidemic and HIV/AIDS; and to fund awareness and anti-stigma campaigns. Through this Initiative, Gilead plans to dramatically increase the reach of these organizations working to address the epidemic in the region, and ultimately to improve the lives of those affected by HIV/AIDS.
For more information on Gilead’s COMPASS Initiative and the full list of grantees visit
