MHAC March 17, 2005 Meeting
After a long winter hiatus, the Michigan HIV/AIDS Council (MHAC) met in
Lansing on March 17. As always the agenda was full, and the meeting was well
attended. This meeting introduced many new members to the group, which continues
to be more reflective of the affected populations, and another new CDC project
officer assigned to our state. The meeting also included the election of one new
MHAC community co-chair.
Several presentations were made that are now available on the Michigan HIV & STD
News website on the MHAC page at
www.mihivnews.com/mhac.htm.
The major business item was the endorsement of a new priority setting process
model for the 2006-2009 Comprehensive (Prevention) Plan. Technical assistance
was provided to the members of the Comprehensive Plan and Needs Assessment
Committees to begin to develop Michigan’s new approach to priority setting. Mark
Peterson explained that the model chosen was the most comprehensive and complex,
and would provide the best information.
Michigan is in the midst of gathering much useful data. Ricardo Bowden reported
that the Needs Assessment Committee has been compiling pertinent data on
injection drug users (IDUs), high risk heterosexuals (HRH), and men who have sex
with men (MSM) for brief fact sheets that will be updated with the needs
assessment process. HAPIS’s Liisa Randall highlighted the many needs assessment
projects in progress: the Commercial Sex Workers Survey (presented at the
meeting and available on the website); the MSM statewide survey, in the final
process of approval; the African American MSM focus group, data being evaluated;
the homeless population, interviews underway; and the HIV-positive Women Survey,
available in the coming months.
The African American Workgroup has been very active. Bowden reported on two
trainings held, on internalized oppression and understanding the historical
antecedents to negative attitudes toward government and healthcare. The
workgroup also worked with HAPIS to coordinate Michigan’s first Annual Black
Awareness Campaign (See the Winter 2005 Issue). This workgroup is continuing to
seek broader representation from the African American community outside of AIDS
service organizations.
Changing of the Guard
 Sammye
Stamper has been active in Michigan’s statewide planning process since 1996,
when a fellow board member for the former Wellness Networks Grand Traverse Area
invited him to Lansing to attend both the PLWH/A Task Force meeting and the
Statewide HIV/AIDS Care Council (SHACC) meeting. At the second meeting of SHACC
that he attended, Stamper was voted in as a co-chair. The statewide planning
process has gone through a lot of transition and change in the nine years he has
been a major player and an outspoken leader. He has faithfully helped to guide
this process with integrity. At the March 17 meeting of MHAC, this self
proclaimed “Viral Protagonist” stepped down as a longstanding community
co-chair.
Holly Joseph, from District #10 Health Department, began her 2-year term
as a new MHAC community co-chair on March 24 on the executive committee call and
will be presiding with Co-chairs Paula Sirls and Debra Szwejda at the May 12
MHAC meeting.
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