Prisma Community Care Selected for Gilead Foundation HIV Prevention Initiative
Phoenix, AZ — April 8, 2026 — Prisma Community Care has been selected to receive funding through the Gilead Foundation’s Community Health Worker (CHW) Comprehensive HIV Prevention Initiative. The initiative represents a $12 million investment in community-based organizations across 14 states and the District of Columbia to expand culturally responsive, CHW-led HIV prevention models.
At Prisma Community Care, this funding will help expand our community engagement and extend navigation support beyond existing patients to community members before they ever walk through our doors. Through this initiative, Prisma will deploy a Community Health Worker model focused on outreach, education, stigma reduction, screening support, navigation, and follow-up for people at increased risk for HIV, including those seeking HIV prevention services, those who need help reconnecting to care, and community members facing barriers to accessing affirming healthcare. This work closely aligns with the goals of the Gilead Foundation initiative, which supports communities disproportionately affected by HIV, prioritizing Black and Latinx/Latine individuals; cisgender and transgender women; people who inject drugs; youth; and men who have sex with men.
This investment comes at a critical time for Maricopa County. The county’s latest Community Health Needs Assessment identified mental health, access to health care, substance use, housing/homelessness, and access to healthy food as top community priorities. In the LGBTQ+ community profile, 43% of respondents reported difficulty getting needed medical care, and 59% reported difficulty getting needed mental health care, with cost, appointment availability, and service coordination identified as key barriers. These findings highlight the need for culturally responsive, community-based interventions, such as Prisma’s Community Health Worker model.
“Community Health Workers often serve as the first point of connection and strengthen a community-based model of care that starts with trust. Through our Community Health Worker program, we will meet people where they are, provide culturally responsive education and navigation, and connect more individuals to affirming care, including HIV testing, prevention, and treatment. Prisma is proud to expand the community presence of this model in Phoenix and help more people move from the first touchpoint to a meaningful connection with services,” said Iris Avila, Senior Director of Marketing and Community Relations at Prisma Community Care.
Through this initiative, organizations nationwide will work to:
- Expand integrated screening for HIV, STIs, mental health, and substance use
- Deliver targeted HIV-prevention education
- Connect people to services such as PrEP navigation and harm-reduction supports
- Reduce stigma and strengthen community engagement
About Prisma Community Care
Prisma Community Care provides affordable, affirming, and inclusive health and wellness services in Phoenix and across the community. Founded in 1990, its services include primary care, mental health care, HIV/STI testing and treatment, sexual healthcare, and HIV prevention and management. At Prisma Community Care, our clients experience care that affirms their identity, supports their journey to wellness, and allows them to enjoy their best health.
For more information, visit www.prismacare.org or follow us on Facebook and Instagram @PrismaCommunityCare.
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