Latest news with #HIV-focused
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
North Dakotan leads while living with HIV, earns Bush Fellowship
Jason Grueneich, pictured June 2, 2025, at the Capitol in Bismarck, is a 2025 Bush Fellow. Grueneich works to build support for people living with HIV, including advocating for legislation approved earlier this year. (Amy Dalrymple/North Dakota Monitor) A Bismarck man who has experienced substance abuse, recovery and living with HIV is hoping to develop his leadership skills after being awarded a Bush Foundation fellowship. 'I've been able to change my own life and work to help others to do the same,' Jason Grueneich told the North Dakota Monitor. 'I'm just lucky to be alive and here doing the work. And it's amazing that the Bush Foundation saw something in me.' Grueneich's work includes being an advocate for those living with HIV. He created Bismarck's first LGBTQ+ recovery group and this year founded Shine Bright and Live, an HIV-focused nonprofit, and helped repeal a North Dakota state law that he said stigmatized people who are HIV positive. Grueneich is one of three North Dakotans awarded a Bush Fellowship in 2025. Up to 30 Bush Fellows are selected each year to receive up to $150,000 to support their leadership goals. Fellows can come from any sector — including business, nonprofit and government, according to the Bush Foundation. Grueneich said the Bush Foundation isn't so much about funding a project but investing in leaders. 'Leaders work to bring as many people with them as possible,' Grueneich said. 'It ripples out into the community and raises people up.' Gruenich grew up in Bismarck but said he moved away, developed a substance abuse problem and became infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. He returned to Bismarck and went through a recovery program in 2016. Since then, 'I have dedicated myself to community,' Grueneich said. Two other North Dakota also were awarded a Bush Fellowship. Sarah Dixon-Hackey of West Fargo will pursue certification in suicide prevention skills, expand her expertise in digital media, and deepen her research into cultural disparities in care, according to a news release. She has created storytelling projects with college students and produced podcasts for refugee families to amplify underrepresented voices, especially on the topic of mental health. Richard Pallay III of Fargo has used his experience as a DJ to found the cultural initiative WEAREONE. He also launched Soul Dads, a peer support network for Black fathers that blends mentorship with creative expression. Pallay will use his Bush Fellowship to launch a statewide artist network and scale Soul Dads into a model that can be replicated, the news release said. Grueneich chairs the North Dakota HIV Advisory Board while working in state government. He has worked for the Department of Transportation for the past five years and is operations manager for the driver's license division. After founding Shine Bright and Live in January, Grueneich spent time at the Capitol advocating for the repeal of a state law that makes it a felony to willfully transfer body fluid containing the HIV virus. Rep. Gretchen Dobervich, D-Fargo, sponsored House Bill 1217 that repeals the law. She said the law singled out HIV from other infectious diseases by creating the felony crime and discouraged people from getting tested for HIV, leading to the potential spread of the virus. The law, 'had the opposite effect of what it was intended,' Dobervich said. She said Grueneich was instrumental in getting the bill through the Legislature. 'He was able to make the issue real,' Dobervich said. Testifying in front of a legislative committee was new for him, Grueneich said. 'A leader faces fears,' Grueneich said. 'Somebody living with HIV, standing in front of the Legislature numerous times when there's a lot of stigma about HIV can be daunting.' In his testimony, Gruenich cited President Donald Trump, who in his first term in 2019, used the State of the Union address to announce a plan to end the HIV epidemic. Grueneich said it was a way to find common ground on HIV issues. 'Unfortunately, we see now the administration is cutting funding for HIV prevention. It's cutting funding for the years of work we've had on finding HIV vaccination or care,' he said. Grueneich said one way he hopes to benefit from the Bush Fellowship is learning how to deal with traumatic life experiences that come with working with high-risk communities such as HIV and recovery. 'You're continually working through trauma and loss,' Grueneich said. 'I want to learn how to heal and process those losses, so I can teach others how they can process that and then refill their cups so they can keep doing the work that's necessary.' Editor's note: The North Dakota Monitor is a recipient of funding from the Bush Foundation through its media partnership program. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
The Citizen
26-05-2025
- Health
- The Citizen
Tilly Brouwer retires after 21 years at St Francis
After over two decades at the helm of the St Francis Care Centre, Tilly Brouwer (76) is retiring on May 30. A pillar of strength during some of the darkest days of the HIV/Aids epidemic, the Cinderella resident leaves behind a legacy of compassion, courage and unwavering commitment to the most vulnerable in society. When Tilly joined the centre in July 2004, South Africa was facing the full brunt of the HIV pandemic. 'Back then, there was no medication available. People came to us to 30 to 40 deaths per month in the adult unit, the centre became a place where families found dignity in death and solace in sorrow.' Just months into her tenure, everything changed when St Francis became a beneficiary of PEPFAR (President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief). 'That was a turning point. We could screen, test, counsel, and start people on antiretroviral treatment. The change in patients was incredible.' Tilly recalls the centre's first day of offering antiretroviral treatment, September 1, 2004, as a cold, rainy day. 'An aunt brought her niece, who was on death's doorstep, to us. She had accepted she was going to die, but we started her on treatment and almost 21 years later, she was alive and thriving. 'We come from a time when HIV was a death sentence to where it is now seen as a chronic condition – manageable and treatable.' Under Tilly's guidance, St Francis evolved from an HIV-focused facility into a fully fledged palliative care centre, serving patients with any life-threatening or life-limiting illnesses. 'We expanded to palliative care in its true form – focused on pain relief, comfort, and dignity at the end of life.' The centre's children's ward, Rainbow Cottage, has also been close to Tilly's heart. They serve children from birth to six years, many abandoned, orphaned or abused. Father Stan Working alongside the late Father Stan Brennan, founder of the centre, was a highlight of Tilly's career. 'He was a man of vision. If he saw a need, he addressed it. Father Stan had a wonderful sense of humour and he taught me sometimes it is better to ask for forgiveness than permission.' Tilly recalls one example of this approach when she sent a nurse to Rio de Janeiro to escort a South African woman home after she had been imprisoned for drug trafficking. 'She was HIV positive, desperately ill and had nobody else. We brought her back, reconciled her with her children and she was baptised before passing away peacefully. That is what St Francis is about.' Another of Tilly's proudest achievements has been securing funding for the centre, often from international donors and the national lottery. 'We had to work hard to keep the lights on. But we never turned a patient away because they could not pay. That was a promise I made to Father Stan.' Despite the weight of leadership, Tilly always believed in empowering her team and maintaining stability. On entering retirement, Tilly said the transition is daunting but exciting. She plans to split her time between South Africa and Australia, where two of her children and three of her 10 grandchildren live. 'I will travel, but will always keep an eye on St Francis. Father Stan's legacy must be honoured.' Her advice to her successor: 'Stay focused on the mission. Advocate fiercely, especially for the children. They cannot speak for themselves. When I look into their eyes, I always hear: 'What are you doing about my future?'' Also Read: New chairperson for St Francis Care Centre Also Read: Hillcrest crushes St Francis in dominant festival performance At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Skeptical California federal judge grills Trump DOJ over anti-trans & anti-DEI orders
A federal judge in California expressed sharp skepticism Thursday as the Trump administration defended executive orders that LGBTQ+ advocates say censor speech and threaten life-saving services. Keep up with the latest in + news and politics. In San Francisco A.I.D.S. Foundation v. Trump, U.S. District Judge Jon S. Tigar heard arguments from Lambda Legal and the Department of Justice over three executive orders targeting so-called 'gender ideology' and diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. The plaintiffs, a coalition of nine LGBTQ+ and HIV-focused nonprofits, are asking a judge to issue an injunction to halt enforcement. 'To me, that sounds incredibly vague,' Tigar told DOJ attorney Pardis Gheibi, according to Courthouse News Service, after she declined to clearly define what counts as 'gender ideology.' Under questioning, Gheibi admitted that asking a client their pronouns or providing all-gender restrooms could violate the orders if federally funded. The lawsuit stems from a series of executive orders signed by President Donald Trump during his first week back in office this January. Among them was Executive Order 14168, titled 'Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism,' which mandates that the federal government recognize only two sexes—male and female—and prohibits federal grantees from affirming transgender identities. Two additional orders dismantled DEI grant programs and barred federally funded entities from applying 'equity-based' hiring, education, and health care practices. LGBTQ+ organizations immediately warned that the moves were designed to erase trans people from public life. Related: San Francisco AIDS Foundation and other LGBTQ+ groups bring new lawsuit against anti-trans executive orders Lambda Legal's Camilla Taylor argued the orders violate the First Amendment by chilling protected speech and the Fifth Amendment by targeting transgender people. 'Even if what plaintiffs are doing is promoting unlawful DEI activities, that is protected First Amendment activity—unless it rises to incitement,' she said, according to the Bay Area Reporter. San Francisco AIDS Foundation CEO Dr. Tyler TerMeer told The Advocate earlier this year that the orders had created panic among clients, with some fearing the loss of housing, HRT, or HIV medications. 'For us, the only option was to fight,' he said. Tigar did not rule from the bench. 'Nothing I say indicates how I will rule,' he said, per Courthouse News. A written decision is expected in the coming weeks.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Stock of the Day: Gilead Sciences falls on report the Trump administration could slash funds for HIV prevention
Federal funding for HIV prevention could be slashed, according to The Wall Street Journal. Gilead Sciences fell 2.52% in premarket trading on the news. The company makes medication for treating HIV and AIDS. Other biopharma firms also fell. The move: Gilead Sciences dropped 2.52% in premarket trading, falling to $107.45 per share Wednesday morning. The biopharmaceutical company is up 19.34% for the year. Why: The stock's decline follows a report from The Wall Street Journal that the US Health and Human Services Department is considering drastic cuts to federal funding for HIV prevention in the US. Gilead makes treatments for adults with HIV. Sources told the Journal that the funding cutbacks are part of a broader slash that may soon be announced for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with the Trump administration looking to reorganize the agency. What it means: A reduction to the CDC's HIV budget has implications for drugmakers focused on combating this disease. Aside from Gilead, American depositary shares of GSK fell 2.18% in early trading. The multinational biopharma firm is a majority owner of the HIV-focused company Viiv. Read the original article on Business Insider
Wall Street Journal
19-03-2025
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
HIV Drug Makers Get Spooked by Possible Trump Cut, but Impact Looks Manageable
Gilead Sciences has been one of the best-performing large biotech companies over the past year, rising about 50%. That is largely due to excitement over its long-acting HIV prevention drug, which is expected to win U.S. regulatory approval this summer. Recent moves by the Trump administration have cast uncertainty over the sector, however. Shares of both Gilead and GSK, another HIV-focused drugmaker, fell after The Wall Street Journal reported the administration was considering drastic cuts to funding for domestic HIV prevention.
