Being educated, tested and treated for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is vitally important to maintaining sexual and overall health. In our area, Northland Cares is the place where this happens.
For almost 25 years the nonprofit has been providing a full range of outpatient services for people living with HIV/AIDS and prevention services for those at risk of HIV in Northern Arizona. In addition to medical case management and outpatient care, Northland Cares has been able to provide assistance with emergency housing, food, dental and vision care, and help with utility bills.
But the current administration’s funding decisions at the federal level have caused cuts to what states are allocating through programs and grants to nonprofits like Northland Cares.
“We received from the state a purchase order for the grant year April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026, that said, because of the uncertainty of the funding, this is what we’re getting,” said Northland Cares Executive Director Johnny Martinez.
As a result of the reduction in funding, office hours at both the Prescott Valley location at 3188 N. Windsong Drive in Prescott Valley and the Cottonwood location at 203 S. Candy Lane will no longer include Fridays.
A letter sent to patients and posted online explains the situation: “This decision was not made lightly, and we understand the impact it may have on your healthcare needs. These cuts will also affect our ability to provide some programs and assistance due to reduced federal support.”
Martinez said he was notified by the state in April that the Ryan White Part B grant of $900,000 would be cut in half. This gave him a little time to plan and put into place the means to stay open while operating on a smaller budget. The Ryan White CARE Act funds reimburse expenses on a monthly basis, now with only $450,000 to cover costs through March 2026.
Other funding, such as the HIV Prevention grant through the Center for Disease Control, will likely be cut, Martinez said. “We did have a work-stop order from June to July, but the state gave us the full amount of $109,009.”
The organization also received the regular amount in the Housing Opportunities for Persons with HIV/AIDS (HOPWA) grant through the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which allows for assistance with short-term and tenant-based housing. Northland Cares also applies for private grants and receives donations from community members and partners.
340B funds have been trending downward for the past few years, Martinez said. Those help make up the loss from the Ryan White grant money, but not all.
This affects all thirteen full- and part-time Northland Cares employees as well as clients.
“Staff hours went from 40 hours to 32 hours. They’re losing about 16 hours of pay every weekly paycheck,” Martinez said.
Funding cuts range from 18% to 25% in many of the programs that help patients. The dental-assistance program through the Ryan White grant used to offer $2,500 per year; now it is $1,500. For vision testing and glasses, assistance is now $150, down from $200. “Food-services assistance went from $30 to $16. We’re trying to do more with food banks to cover the loss.”
Martinez said his hope is to somehow secure the rest of his funding and continue working with the community with donations and volunteers. “It gets real easy to focus on these cuts that have happened and engage in finger-pointing. But we are made up of solution-minded people. We look for solutions as we go forward, and continue to do as best as possible. Hopefully those will sustain us to continue our vision,” he said. “At the end of the day we want to create a healthy community. We appreciate everybody’s support.”
Northland Cares accepts monetary donations and office and medical supplies. It is a 501c3 nonprofit qualified charitable organization, which means you get a dollar-per-dollar deduction from what you might owe on state taxes.
For more information about Northland Cares, visit northlandcares.org or call 928-771-1767 (Prescott Valley) or 928-649-0833 (Cottonwood). The organization will host a fundraiser on October 18, watch for our coverage next month.
