Single Source Procurement: End of AIDS - Communities of Color Enhancements

Pursuant to New York State Finance Law § 163.10(b), The New York State Department of Health is presenting the following summary of relevant circumstances, and material and substantial reasons why a competitive procurement was not feasible.

On June 29, 2014, Governor Cuomo made an important announcement, in which he detailed a three-point plan to "Bend the Curve" and move us closer to the end of the AIDS epidemic in New York State. The goal is to reduce the number of new HIV infections to just 750 (from an estimated 3,000) by 2020.

The Governor's three-point plan includes:

  • Identifying persons with HIV who remain undiagnosed and linking them to health care;
  • Linking and retaining persons diagnosed with HIV in health care and maintaining them on antiretroviral therapy to maximize HIV viral load suppression so they remain healthy and to prevent further transmission; and
  • Facilitating access to Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) for high-risk HIV negative persons.

Ending the Epidemic (ETE) in NYS will maximize the availability of life-saving, transmission-interrupting treatment for HIV, saving lives and improving the health of New Yorkers. It will move NYS from a history of having the worst HIV epidemic in the country to a future where new infections are rare and those living with the disease live normal lifespans with few complications.

An important component of Ending the Epidemic in NYS is reaching out to the highest risk communities and working with them to implement the three points which are part of the Governor's plan. One of the priority high risk groups identified is Gay Men/Men who have Sex with Men (MSM), particularly individuals who remain undiagnosed, those not linked to care and those engaging in high risk behaviors.

Despite the many notable achievements in HIV prevention and care in New York, HIV continues to pose a serious health threat to gay men/MSM in the state. The 2012 NYS Cascade of Care for MSM indicates that there are an estimated 58,000 MSM living with diagnosed HIV infection, of which approximately 48,000 (83%) are aware of their HIV status. Of those, 32,000 (67%) showed any sign of care in the previous year, and 28,000 (58%) had been in continuous care during that year (defined as at least 2 viral load or CD4 tests, at least 3 months apart), and 27,000 (56%) are virally suppressed. These findings indicate that at least a third of MSM in New York State are not currently in care and highlights the need for engagement, linkage and retention services. Moreover, young MSM (YMSM) are less likely to have steady employment, health insurance, and therefore access to consistent health care, so there is reason to believe that this group may be disproportionately represented in the pool of MSM out of care. As a result of various factors, YMSM of color in particular are thought to be less likely to know their status and be in care, and are less likely to remain in care once they obtain access.

The AIDS Institute is requesting to increase the existing contracts with three COC funded agencies which serve gay men/MSM populations to enhance prevention and support efforts for this high-risk group, particularly to individuals who remain undiagnosed, those not linked to care and those engaging in high risk behaviors. The agencies are:

  • AIDS Council of North Eastern New York (ACNENY)
  • Evergreen Health Services (EHS)
  • National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS (NBLCA)
Procurement / Program Name End of AIDS - Communities of Color Enhancements
Contractor Name(s) AIDS Council of Northeastern NY,
Evergreen Health Services,
National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS
Contract Period 7/1/2015 – 11/30/2016
Contract Number(s) C027624, C027628, C027652