Upham’s Ryan White Care Program (RWCP) has been serving HIV+/AIDS patients and community members for many years. Additionally, this specialized care is fully integrated into Upham’s primary health care services to provide patient-centric, accessible, and holistic care.
Funded by the US Department of Health and Human Services, the national Ryan White Care Program is named after a young adolescent, Ryan White, who, in 1984, became infected with HIV after a blood transfusion and was denied being able to return to school because of his diagnosis. His advocacy for awareness (and kindness) to HIV+/AIDS patients inspired many.
A wide variety of necessary health care and support services are offered through Upham’s RWCP, including medical and behavioral services. Additional social and support services find and/or provide referrals for transportation, housing including rental assistance and homelessness prevention, utilities protection, employment. There are also wrap around Case Management services, including medication adherence support.
Prevention and education are key pillars of the RWCP, such as outreach to vulnerable individuals to raise awareness of HIV, support risk assessments, and promote safe behaviors, including condom use. CEO Jay Trivedi notes:
“We are humbled to be able to serve many people with our Ryan White Care Program services and support resources, which are essential for their comprehensive health care needs. And, we look forward to assisting many more individuals as our team engages the with our community partners.”
To reach as many community members as possible, Upham’s partners will a broad scope of partners including Catholic Charities for food support, Project Bread, Lend a Hand, and Cradles to Crayons. Metro Boston, supports housing referrals for individuals while Project Hope supports families in need. In addition to the national program, Boston Public Health Commission is a source of funding.
Upham’s 4-person RWCP team, including Carla Kenneally, Emerson Miller, John Roncancio, and Chevelle Sloan, currently serve 70 patients and is proud to be able to support many cultural and linguistic needs, including services in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Cape Verdean Creole, Haitian Creole, and Vietnamese. With the addition of new staff members with deep experience in education and support, Upham’s is looking to expand its community outreach as well as patient support services, including creating a support group for RWCP patients and women’s group.
If you or someone you care about needs support, please contact us.
Upham’s Ryan White Care Program
Emerson Miller, Senior Manager of Population Health and Support Services
617-287-8000 ext. 8345
About Upham’s Corner Health Center
Founded in 1971, Upham’s Corner Health Center (UCHC) offers high-quality, affordable primary health care and elder care to the residents of North Dorchester and its surrounding neighborhoods in Boston, Massachusetts. This includes family medicine, women’s health, behavioral health, nutrition, elder care, urgent care, dental, vision care, WIC, PACE and home health care, all tailored to meet the cultural, language, and access needs of a vibrant and diverse community. Boston health care partners include Boston Medical Center, Mass General Brigham, and Boston Children’s Hospital. UCHC is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and is online at uphamscornerhealthcenter.org.
