The 2020 Ryan White Conference on HIV Care & Treatment is coming up in just a few weeks. Like many conferences around the world, the Ryan White conference has converted to a completely virtual conference to help attendees, vendors, and presenters stay safe at home while still sharing and connecting together. The conference is celebrating its 30 year anniversary and will have various highlights of how far the fight against eliminating HIV/AIDS has come in the last 30 years.

For Health Merch, the Ryan White conference is one that we look forward to attending every year and will be the first conference that we attend as a virtual vendor! Similar to AIDS 2020, Ryan White will have a virtual vendor hall where attendees can schedule meeting times with vendors, learn about products and services through engaging video content and virtual booths with static information as well. We are excited for this first foray into this territory and will be sure to follow up with another blog on how to best engage with virtual vendors without missing out on that face to face personal connection. 

To help get the industry up to speed, we wanted to pull together some quick hitting FAQs to ensure that you get the best experience out of attending this conference as an attendee, speaker or vendor. 

Click here for the 2020 National Ryan White Conference Attendee Guidebook

Click here for the 2020 National Ryan White Conference Agenda

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What is the Ryan White Conference on HIV Care & Treatment?

To start with the basics, The National Ryan White Conference on HIV Care & Treatment (NRWC) provides a comprehensive and timely overview of HIV care and treatment issues, best practices, and innovative models of care. Recipients and service providers with information on emerging program issues arising from treatment advances and challenges, new service delivery approaches and strategic efforts to address the changing needs of a demographically diverse HIV epidemic.  Additionally, participants will have the opportunity to receive programmatic, fiscal and administrative technical assistance to inform the management of their Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) award.

Who typically attends the National Ryan White Conference on HIV Cares & Treatment?

Attendees of the conference are typically program staff funded by the HRSA HAB HIV/AIDS Programs (RWHAP or Global), National Partners, Technical Assistance Providers, Subrecipients, and Community Members.

What is the history behind the conference?

The National Conference theme this year is “30 Years of Innovating Care, Optimizing Public Health, Ending the HIV Epidemic,” which is timely as HRSA celebrates 30 years since the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act was first enacted. This year’s theme also aligns with the Administration’s Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America, the 10-year initiative with the important goal of reducing new HIV infections to less than 3,000 per year by 2030.

Which organization runs the conference?

The Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program provides a comprehensive system of HIV primary medical care, medication, and essential support services for low-income people with HIV who are uninsured or underserved.

What is the 2020 Clinical Conference? Who can attend the Ryan White Clinical Conference?

In advance of the general conference, the organizers have also organized a Clinical Conference that will host up to 600 physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other key clinical decision makers in HRSA’s Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program-funded clinics and programs are invited to participate in the 2020 Clinical Conference just prior to the National Ryan White Conference on HIV Care & Treatment. he Clinical Conference will provide advanced updates on state-of-the-art research, care, and treatment issues in the medical management of HIV. The clinical conference takes place August 9-12. Learn more about registration https://www.iasusa.org/events/rwcc2020/here. 

Can I attend the clinical conference and the Conference on HIV Care & Treatment?

Yes, you can register to attend both conferences. Registration, however, is not combined and applicants must fill out BOTH registrations to attend both conferences. Learn more about registration here. 

When does the National Ryan White Conference Start?

The conference begins on August 11 and ends on August 14, 2020. 

How does the CARES Act fit into this conference?

The Ryan White CARES Act is a little different than the CARES act we’ve all been hearing about lately in the U.S. The legislation was first enacted in 1990 as the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act. It has been amended and reauthorized four times in 1996, 2000, 2006, and 2009. The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program legislation has been amended with each reauthorization to accommodate new and emerging needs, such as an increased emphasis on funding core medical services and changes in funding formulas. Learn more about the legislation here.