By Denny Patterson
Broward House, an organization committed to providing hope and healing to the South Florida community while combating stigma and increasing knowledge and prevention, is in the beginning stages of becoming an affiliate of the highly-respected AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), a nonprofit organization focused on addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic in local communities across the globe.
The affiliation will allow Broward House to expand critical services and streamline key care aspects, such as case management and medical services, thus availing their clients and others throughout the greater Broward community to have increased access to the continued patient care needed to live with HIV.
“Both Broward House and AHF have been in the community for quite a long time, serving right next to each other and working together,” Stacy Hyde, CEO of Broward House says. “This affiliation allows us to really strengthen our collaboration. It’s not beginning one, it’s absolutely strengthening one. AHF has amazing medical care throughout our community, both with prevention and HIV care, and Broward House does a great job at the behavioral health and case management components in housing. So, this allows us to better serve our clients more cohesively so they will be able to get all of that care in one spot. They’ll only have to tell their story once, and it will be easier for clients to be better served.”
Initially beginning its mission by providing housing, which remains a core component of Broward House, the agency directly impacts over 3,000 individuals in Broward County and provides other services including case management, mental health services, and substance abuse treatment.
“I think Broward House and AHF have really complimented each other over the years,” Hyde says. “Our focus is the same as far as caring for those living with HIV and preventing new infections.”
Although Broward House and AHF have been working together for many years, Hyde feels that now is the right time to officially join forces.
“The world is changing,” she says. “More and more, we are recognizing the importance of collaboration. We are stronger together, and nonprofits are realizing that as well. Grant funding for Broward House is also changing, so this allows us to strengthen our infrastructure, which allows us to care for everybody who walks through our doors. There are no limitations. As the world changes, we are recognizing how much we need each other to serve people the way they deserve to be treated.”
According to recent statistics, Broward County continues to rank as one of the top five counties nationally with the highest rates of new HIV diagnosis.
The Florida Department of Health has indicated that two key components to the state reducing new cases of HIV transmission are providing rapid access to treatment and ensuring retention in care, and providing patients access to care services.
“We have saved so many lives, and we have worked to chip away at the stigma that surrounds HIV,” Hyde says. “Over the past 30 years, Broward House and AHF have both been able to open the conversation with people, where maybe the conversation wasn’t there before. We have also made it easier to access care.”
As for long-term goals, Hyde hopes this collaboration will accomplish so much more.
“We can always look at new ways of doing things,” she says. “It’s just more brain power at the table, right? We will be able to combine our resources and ideas. Anytime you kind of break the way you’re doing something and do it differently, I think it allows for change to happen in a good way. We are both committed to our mission, we are just combining our efforts.”
For more information and to connect with Broward House, visit BrowardHouse.org. Do the same with AHF by visiting AidsHealth.org.
