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Fiscal year 2027 budget
On April 3, the White House released its FY 27 budget request. There are major funding cuts proposed to CDC, HOPWA, as well as HIV prevention and care. Once again, advocates, including nurses and healthcare professionals, need to make calls to our elected officials urging them not to make these cuts. AIDS United has released a statement and the Federal AIDS Policy Partnership sent a sign on letter to Congress. Get involved and utilize the ANAC Advocacy toolkit as a resource for these important advocacy efforts.
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Upcoming UNCENSORED webinars
April 22 - 12 p.m. ET/4 p.m. GMT
Nurses Shift Change: Why Nurses Are Organizing Nationwide and How You Can Too!
UNCENSORED is taking a step from awareness to action! Join us for a conversation with the founders of Nurses Shift Change, Danielle McCamey, Lendra James and Doris Taylor, to learn about the launch and growth of a national movement working to amplify nurse voices, translate real frontline experiences into advocacy and action, and how you can get involved.
April 29 - 12 p.m. ET/4 p.m. GMT
Supporting Trans and Non-Binary Patients Amid Legislative Shifts
As policies restricting gender-affirming care continue to evolve across the country, clinicians are facing new challenges in maintaining safe, continuous care for their trans and non-binary patients. This session with Joey Knoll from SPEKTRUM Health provides practical, on-the-ground guidance for navigating the current landscape. We’ll discuss concrete tools for building regional resource guides, managing care transitions, and addressing the clinical and mental health needs of patients impacted by HRT interruptions.
Register for both webinars.
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New national data reveal growing strain on U.S. HIV response
ANAC, in collaboration with partners in the Emergency HIV Clinical Response Task Force, recently highlighted new national survey findings that point to significant and widespread disruptions across the HIV care continuum in the United States.
The data brief, HIV Response in U.S. Experiencing Renewed Strain, is based on responses from 383 HIV providers across 47 states and Puerto Rico and reflects increasing instability in the systems that support HIV prevention, treatment and care.
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Join an ANAC Global Working Group
ANAC’s Global Working Groups are open to all members interested in strengthening HIV nursing and global collaboration. These groups bring members together to share ideas, support initiatives and expand ANAC’s global impact.
Working Groups include:
- Global Advocacy
- Global Education
- Global Chapter Development
You can participate as much or as little as you like. Join discussions, contribute ideas or stay connected to the work.
Stay updated on meeting dates and upcoming activities by adding them to your calendar:
HTML or ICS and join the global WhatsApp group.
| Education & Professional Development | |
Decera clinical education webinar
Through our partnership with Decera, we are able to offer this live webinar Wed. April 29 at 1:30 p.m. ET titled Doravirine/Islatravir: What Clinicians Need to Know. Register here.
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Street Medicine training for California members
A dynamic, hands-on FREE 3-day training focused on street medicine, harm reduction, and crisis prevention and de-escalation is being offered by USC Street Medicine. Learn more.
Download the flyer.
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Nurses Week 2026 - The Power of Nursing
Nurses Week is just around the corner, and ANAC is proud to celebrate the incredible impact of nurses across HIV prevention, treatment, care, research, policy and global health.
From May 6 - May 12, ANAC will launch a five-day digital campaign aligned with this year’s theme, The Power of Nurses. Throughout the week, we will highlight the many ways nurses and interdisciplinary care teams are shaping the future of HIV care and strengthening communities across the country and around the world.
Each day, we will feature a short video message focused on a key area of impact, along with a thoughtful question designed to spark reflection, conversation and connection across our community. We invite all members to engage by sharing their perspectives in the comments and joining the dialogue. Members who participate throughout the week will be entered into a drawing to receive one complimentary registration to ANAC2026!
We’ll also host a special virtual self-care session designed to support the well-being of nurses, featuring guided mindfulness and seated movement.
We look forward to celebrating with you, amplifying your voices and recognizing the power of nursing together.
Stay tuned for more details and be ready to join us on Facebook and LinkedIn beginning May 6!
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New study about stigmatizing language
The Well Project recently released “Stigmatizing Language in Healthcare Settings: Results from The Well Project's Research Among Women and Nonbinary Adults Living with HIV” to highlight the importance of avoiding language that can reduce care engagement, increase internalized stigma and negatively impact mental health.
Help shape the future of LAI PrEP implementation
ANAC is recruiting clinicians to participate in small, facilitated roundtables on long-acting injectable PrEP. Participants will receive compensation. For more information contact Sheila@anacnet.org.
| Member Benefits & Opportunities | | |
Join a chapter!
ANAC chapters are a great way to get involved with ANAC and network with other members in your area. See if there is a chapter in your area or contact us to start one!
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Walking Toward Change: JANAC Spotlights Rural HIV Advocacy Led by Nurses
JANAC highlights a compelling new commentary—“Our AIDS Walks Are Only Beginning”—that examines how HIV advocacy in the rural Upper Midwest is being reimagined by nurses with lived experience. The article underscores how persistent stigma, geographic isolation, and limited services continue to challenge care access for people living with HIV (PLWH) in states like South Dakota.
You’ll read how nurse driven efforts like the Black Hills AIDS Walk, launched in 2023 with no funding and only recycled supplies, have helped spark community visibility and conversations about HIV where silence has long prevailed. Despite fears of disclosure and widespread stigma, participation doubled by 2025—showcasing how local, nurse led advocacy can seed change even in deeply rural settings.
The commentary offers a powerful call: rural nurses are uniquely positioned to lead stigma reduction, expand HIV education, and build the coalitions needed to improve testing, prevention, and care access.
Read the JANAC article:
Our AIDS Walks Are Only Beginning: A Commentary and Call to Increase HIV Advocacy Efforts in the Rural Upper Midwest
| | Upcoming Conference & Events | |
ANAC2026: San Diego
Bridges Over Borders: Advancing HIV Care through Community Connectedness and Health Equity
Seeking sponsors and exhibitors
Be a part of ANAC2026 and get your company or organization noticed! Our sponsors and exhibitors receive great benefits and recognition opportunities throughout the conference.
Early-bird registration is open!!! Register now for a discounted price and we'll see you in San Diego!
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San Diego fun fact
San Diego is the eighth most populated city in the U.S. and is known as the birthplace of California, as it was the first site visited and settled by Europeans on the West Coast.
San Diego was named by Spanish explorer Sebastián Vizcaíno in 1602 after the Catholic saint Didacus of Alcalá (San Diego de Alcalá). Vizcaíno mapped the bay on November 12, shortly after the saint's feast day, and named the area in his honor.
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Get to know the ANAC staff
Sheila Tumilty, BSN, RN, ACRN
Director of Education Programs
Little Compton, RI
As ANAC’s Director of Education Programs, I work to develop educational initiatives that support nurses and other professionals working in HIV prevention, care, and research. My role includes building partnerships with academic institutions, clinical experts, and industry collaborators to help create meaningful programming for our members. I also work closely with ANAC’s Research, Clinical Practice, and Rural Committees to help translate emerging science, clinical insights, and community needs into educational opportunities and initiatives.
Key highlights:
One of my favorite aspects of the role is engaging with ANAC members and learning from the incredible work happening across our community. I also enjoy the variety of the position—no two days look exactly the same. Whether collaborating with partners, working with committee leaders, planning conference programming, or helping shape new educational initiatives, the diversity of the work keeps things both challenging and rewarding.
What’s next / What you’re currently working on:
We have some exciting plans underway, including new educational programming, expanded partnerships, and initiatives designed to further engage our members and highlight the important role nurses play in advancing HIV prevention and care. I’m looking forward to continuing to build programs that connect our community and support nurses working across the HIV field. After more than 30 years working in HIV care, research, and advocacy, I continue to be inspired by the dedication, compassion, and innovation of nurses and others working to improve the lives of people affected by HIV.
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Richard L. Sowell JANAC Article of the Year
Wanda Goodwyn, PhD, MSN, RN
This award recognizes an outstanding article published in the Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care during the period from July 1 - June 30 of the year preceding ANAC’s annual conference. The award acknowledges a significant contribution to the literature, the science of caring and nursing interventions in the HIV epidemic. The JANAC editorial board makes nominations and selections for this award and it is funded by the journal’s publisher.
Dr. Goodwyn is a registered nurse with 38 years of experience and a 10-year veteran of the US Army Reserves and Army Nurse Corps. Her career includes roles as a Nurse Manager in specialties like Labor and Delivery, Orthopedics, and Neurosurgery, as well as positions in nursing education and academic advising. Her passion lies in caring for mothers during childbirth and in nursing education.
She holds a PhD from East Carolina University, where her research focuses on HIV prevention for Black women and women of color. This population is disproportionately affected by HIV and face significant maternal health disparities. Dr. Goodwyn’s work explores factors influencing sexual decision-making, offering a new perspective on prevention. This research is a crucial contribution to the broader conversation about HIV prevention and women’s health. Her commitment to this research was inspired by her personal experience witnessing the 1980s HIV epidemic in her hometown of East Orange/Newark, NJ. Her goal is to reduce health disparities among a frequently underserved population.
Dr. Goodwyn also mentors new nurses and is a member of several professional organizations, including Sigma Theta Tau, the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (ANAC), and the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN).
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Research Impact Recognition Award
Rosina Cianelli, PhD, MPH, RN, IBCLC, FAAN
This award recognizes an outstanding current ANAC member whose work demonstrates a significant contribution through research addressing the needs of individuals and communities affected by HIV and the quality of care provided to them. Eligible contributions must be grounded in the generation, translation, or implementation of research, including community-based and practice-based research initiatives, and demonstrate dissemination and measurable impact on HIV nursing practice, care delivery, or health outcomes.
Rosina Cianelli is a Tenured Professor at the University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies, a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Executive Nurse Fellow. A dedicated nurse scientist, her research centers on reducing health disparities related to HIV and other chronic diseases among women across the adult lifespan in the United States and the Pan-American region.
Dr. Cianelli leads community-based interventions and health promotion strategies for women at risk for or living with HIV. Her work has been widely disseminated, with over 100 peer-reviewed publications and numerous presentations at national and international conferences. She has secured funding from the National Institutes of Health and various national and community foundations. Beyond her research, Dr. Cianelli is deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of HIV researchers, both domestically and internationally. Her career reflects a sustained dedication to advancing health equity and empowering underserved women through science, service and leadership.
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New program making a difference in rural settings
“From Isolation to Connection: How a Rural Nurse Residency Program Builds Community” highlights an innovative program designed to support new nursing graduates working in rural hospitals. Through the program, participants expand their clinical knowledge and skills while gaining confidence and building meaningful connections with peers and mentors.
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Organizational and Corporate memberships are available!
Organizational and corporate memberships offer a meaningful and powerful way to support ANAC’s work while connecting your broader team to the HIV care community. They create opportunities to highlight your organization, engage with a network of clinicians, researchers and advocates, and stay connected to the ideas and efforts shaping HIV care and policy. With multiple tiers available, there are several ways to engage with ANAC at the institutional level, and we would love to partner with you. Learn more.
| The University of Rhode Island College of Nursing is currently conducting a search for the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs and the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies. Consider joining the team at an exciting time for the College and University! More information. | | | | |
