September 2025

Policy

Government shutdown

As of this morning, the U.S. government is shut down as Congress was unable to pass a new budget bill or a continuing resolution (that would keep the government running on a version of the 2025 budget.) Politico has published a useful summary of the impact of the shutdown. For now, currently federally funded health care and research programs should remain unaffected. New grants and proposals will be at least delayed. Of note, the contingency plans of both NIH and CDC are to furlough (suspend or discharge) substantial numbers of their already depleted workforce. In previous government shutdowns, these workforce suspensions were temporary, and workers returned. However, HHS Secretary RFK Jr has pledged to cut the workforce across all of HHS, so there are concerns about the long-term outcome of the shutdown & furloughs.  

One of the sticking points is the substantial changes to the ACA anticipated with the next open enrollment period (Nov. 1-Dec 15) for the more than 22 million people who purchase ACA health plans when the enhanced premium tax credits (ePTCs) expire at the end of 2025. This is what the Democrats are fighting to preserve in the failed budget negotiations.This brief from The AIDS Institute, provides an overview of the ePTCs, and the consequences of these changes.  

Leadership

ANAC in DC

Carole Treston, Mitchell Wharton, Sheila Tumilty, Jason Farley and Jeff Kwong represented ANAC at a Congressional Briefing in Washington, D.C. sponsored by the Nursing Community Coalition. A panel of nursing leaders focused on the need for continued and expanded funding for nursing education, research, and the nursing workforce.

ANAC ED at USCHA

During the closing plenary at 2025 US Conference on HIV/AIDS (USCHA) in Washington, D.C. in September, ANAC Executive Director Carole Treston joined a panel that included Dr. Anthony Fauci and others who spoke about HIV workforce resiliency over the decades. She spoke on her roles as a nurse in the HIV response since 1986.  

Education

Upcoming webinar

Join us at a webinar on Oct. 9 at 1:30 p.m. ET. in partnership with Clinical Care Options (CCO). This live webinar features expert ANAC faculty who will discuss strategies to expand PrEP and implement PrEP programs. This event is for nurses and allied health professionals and will include faculty discussion and a question and answer session. Register.

ANAC at USCHA

ANAC is a national partner in the US Conference on HIV/AIDS (USCHA), held this year in Washington, D.C. Sept. 4-7. USCHA is an annual convening of community leaders, advocates, people living with HIV, health professionals and community-based organizations. Representing ANAC, Carole Treston, Jason Farley and Jeff Kwong presented an educational Institute entitled “Ask a Provider: U=U and More!!” The presentation focused on HIV prevention efforts including U=U or treatment as prevention. See our ad on p.81 in the USCHA program.

JANAC

Sept/Oct issue is out!

This issue features 10 articles that generate new knowledge that can help promote the health, protect the safety, alleviate suffering and uphold the dignity of women and girls living with or at risk for HIV. Though these articles span methods and geography, they share a commitment to asking research questions that that improve the holistic health of women throughout their lifespan and using rigorous scientific methods to answer those questions.

Read the full issue.

Resources

The Journal of Infectious Diseases has issued a supplement “PEPFAR’s Contributions to Health Systems and Global Health Security.” This supplement is currently available for free.

2025 Award Winners

The 2025 ANAC Award Recipients have recently been announced! Congratulations to each award winner!

ANAC Awards

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Student Fellowship

John Fuller, BS

HIV Educator Distinguished Service Award

Austin Nation, PhD, RN, PHN

Research Impact Recognition Award

Rosina Cianelli, PhD, RN, FAAN

Joanne Ruiz Achievement for Excellence in Clinical Practice in HIV Award

Sarah Ionson, BSN, RN, ACRN

Frank Lamendola Achievement Award for Nursing Leadership in HIV Care Award

Justin Alves, RN, MSN, AACRN

Lucy Bradley-Springer Excellence in HIV Prevention Award

Jessica Lee Corcoran, PhD, CRNP, CPNP-PC

Chapter Recognition Award

Houston Gulf Chapter

Excellence in Global HIV Nursing Award

Katleho Seisa, RN

Board of Director Awards

Public Service Award

Robyn Neblett Fanfair, MD, MPH

Helen Miramontes Advocacy Award

Carol Dawson Rose, PhD, RN, FAAN

President's Award

Kendrick Clack, APRN, FNP-C
Tavell Kindall, DNP, PhD

Lifetime Achievement Award

Carl Kirton, DNP, RN, FAAN

HANCB Awards

Dr. Patrick Kenny Certified Nurse of the Year

Jimmie Leckliter, MSN, RN, ACRN

HANCB Lifetime Achievement Award

Norma Rolfsen, RN, AACRN

Richard L. Sowell JANAC Award

Article of the Year

"An Integrative Review of the Literature Examining Sexual Relationship Power, Depressive Symptoms, Silencing the Self, and HIV Vulnerability for Women in the United States"

Wanda Goodwyn, PhD, MSN, RN

Don't miss out on the chance to congratulate your colleagues by placing an ad in the Awards program. Contact sara@anacnet.org to reserve your place or send your ad!

Full-page full color ad - 4"W X 8"H - $150

Half-page full color ad - 4"W X 4"H - $75

Committee News

Committee Meetings at Conference!

Join one of our open committee meetings at conference to learn about their mission, past years activities, and how to join.

Thursday, Nov. 6, 9 - 10 a.m

Global Committee

Rural Committee

DEI Committee

Bylaws Committee

Friday, Nov. 7, 8 - 9 a.m

Chapters Committee

Research Committee

Saturday,Nov. 8, 8:30 - 9:30 a.m

Policy Committee

Clinical Committee

Membership Committee

Consider leading or joining a committee!

The DEI and Chapter Committees are looking for Chairs for 2026! Are you or anyone you know interested in serving? We also have member positions open on most of our committees in 2026. If interested in member positions, please complete the committee application If interested in leadership positions, please reach out to anac@anacnet.org directly.

Global Committee launches new working groups

The Global Committee launched our new Global Committee working groups: Advocacy, Program Development and Chapter Formation. These groups were created to provide more meaningful opportunities for global members to lead, collaborate and shape ANAC’s international work. With participants from more than 10 countries, the groups will meet monthly to develop initiatives that respond directly to the needs of global ANAC members. Stay tuned for updates as these groups begin building out their goals for the year!

Chapter News

Chapter leadership list

All active chapters must submit their chapter leadership list to the national office by Nov. 1. Outgoing chapter presidents are responsible for the completion and submission.

Member News

Board election results

The Board of Directors and the Nominating Committee of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care is pleased to announce the results of the 2025 ANAC elections:

President-elect: Anthony Velasco (term Nov. 2025 - Nov. 2027)

Treasurer: Deb Winters (term Nov. 2025-Nov. 2028)

Former BOD member, Jonah Pierce has been appointed by the BOD (as per the ANAC bylaws) for a one-year term (Nov. 2025 - Nov. 2026), to fill the Director-at-large seat vacated by Anthony Velasco’s new role. 

Upcoming Member-Only Town Hall

Join us for our upcoming member-only town hall Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. ET! You can expect to leave feeling uplifted, strong and connected. Register in advance to save your spot.

The last town hall gave members space to reflect on their experiences under the current administration. ANAC members named the challenges they face, expressed their hopes and shared strategies for staying grounded and resilient while remaining true to our shared values and commitment to the people and communities we serve.

There will also be a live town hall at conference in Philly in November! All conference attendees are welcome to attend - Friday, Nov. 7! 

ANAC member receives promotion

Natalie Leblanc, Ph,D MPH, BSN, RN, was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure and is the Harriet J. Kitzman Dean’s Endowed Fellow at the University of Rochester School of Nursing. Dr. Leblanc is an interdisciplinary nurse research scientist, with formal education and training with over 25 years of collective experience in public health, nursing and health service research. She is an Affiliate Faculty at the University of Rochester’s Qualitative and Mixed Methods Research Center and Health Equity Research Core. She is also currently an Affiliate Faculty with the Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS (CIRA) - Research Education Institute for Diverse Scholars (REIDS) at Yale University School of Public Health.

Did You Know? ANAC now offers Organizational and Corporate Memberships.

These memberships are about more than a name on a list—they’re about partnership. Joining at the organizational level connects your team with ANAC’s national network of HIV nurses, researchers, and advocates, and creates a space to exchange expertise and strengthen the field together. The added perk? Your organization also gains visibility as a leader committed to advancing HIV care.

And because we know staff support matters, these memberships also include multiple individual memberships for your team—giving them access to resources like JANAC, webinars, and conference discounts.

Interested in exploring how your organization could be part of this? Reach out to Kat Ngaruiya, Development and Partnerships, at kat@anacnet.org.

2024 Award Feature

The 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award

Joachim Voss, RN, PhD, ACRN, FAAN received the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award. Joachim is an expert in HIV-related symptom science and was the first nurse scientist to develop a gene expression tool to study gene expression related to fatigue in HIV. Fatigue in HIV and cancer is a highly stressful experience. His research has contributed significantly to the identification of moderators and mediators in HIV and cancer-related fatigue, the identification of basic mechanisms of fatigue in skeletal muscle, CD4 cells, and fat tissue, and the translation of best practices into evidence based HIV symptom management guidelines, and evidence-based exercise recommendations for older adults living with HIV.

This award is given to a current member of ANAC for outstanding lifetime accomplishments that have enhanced the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care. The award is recommended by the ANAC president to the board of directors for approval and is given at the board’s discretion.