Fourth District Congressman A. Donald McEachin announced this week five new grants from the Department of Health and Human Services totaling over $38 million. These grants aim to combat critical healthcare issues in the Commonwealth.
A sum of $31,768,587 was issued to the Virginia Department of Health for HIV-related research, including a $6,205,099 grant for integrated HIV Surveillance and Prevention Programs and a $25,563,448 grant to the Ryan White Program for those living with HIV/AIDS.
“The Ryan White program provides a comprehensive system of medical care, support services, and medications for low-income people with HIV, hopefully, to improve and lengthen their lives and to prevent HIV transmission,” said McEachin. Once again, we need to guarantee affordable, accessible quality health care for all, but until that becomes a reality, programs such as this one are so important for those with a chronic illness.”
Two HHS grants were also issued to the Vernon J Harris Health center, for $2,648,673, and the Daily Planet Health, for $1,466,903, to provide health care access for those without clinics.
“These two clinics provide much needed health care services to thousands of Richmonders every day,” McEachin said. “Unfortunately, the American healthcare system, even with Virginia’s expansion of Medicaid, leaves all too many falling between the cracks, fearful they will not be able to get either the preventative or remedial care they need. This pandemic has only exacerbated the cracks in the system and provided glaring evidence of how critical these clinics are for folks in our area.”
Last, four additional grants were received by Virginia Commonwealth University totaling $2,227,189. The grants included $575,595 for blood disease research, $533,985 for drug addiction and abuse research and $426,938 for neurological disorders.
“Once again, VCU demonstrates its well-earned status as a first-class, ground-breaking research university with these four grants totaling over $2 million dollars,” McEachin noted. “Moreover, these grants could potentially help the medical community cure and prevent various diseases, all of which have devastating outcomes. I am so proud of VCU and their outstanding, life-changing research!”
VCU will also receive $690,671 on research towards the physical causes of autism.
“Autism Spectrum Disorder is very prevalent with 1 in 59 children experiencing it and four times as common in boys than girls. This research may help discover the origins of autism or the physical circumstances that lead to this disorder which can contribute to prevention or to advances in treatment so these children can all lead happy, healthy and productive lives,” said McEachin.
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