Kansas Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS

(KACHA)

Welcome to the webpage for the Kansas Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (KACHA). KACHA is the HIV planning group for Kansas and is a combined prevention and care group.

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “HIV planning is a critical process by which health departments work in partnership with the community and key stakeholders to enhance access to HIV prevention, care, and treatment services for the highest-risk populations. HIV planning groups work to ensure the alignment of activities with the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy.” (HIV Planning Guidance, July 2012).

Why Community Involvement?
The HIV epidemic is a very diverse one. Who is infected with HIV varies from community to community. Even within similar groups affected by HIV, values and community norms vary from place to place. Prevention and care services are most successful when they reach people where they are in their lives - not where others think they ought to be.

With jurisdictional HIV planning, local communities, including those infected and affected by HIV, determine the scope, depth and content of HIV prevention and care programming. In other words, the values and priorities of the community determine what is important and what is not. This is why community involvement in KACHA is so important.

What can you do?
KACHA seeks meaningful involvement from community members like you to help continually refine and tailor HIV prevention and care services that are culturally sensitive and scientifically sound, and address the unique needs of those communities most affected by HIV/AIDS.

To participate, simply show up at an in-person meeting or join in on a conference call. Meetings alternate between statewide phone conference calls and open meetings in different cities across Kansas. Check out the calendar for information on meetings and phone conferences.

For information on the next KACHA meeting or call, you may also contact Travis Barnhart at (785) 296-1037 or by email tbarnhart@kdheks.gov.

Calendar

Looking for more information on National HIV/AIDS Awareness Days? Visit AIDS.gov here. (http://www.aids.gov/news-and-events/awareness-days/index.html)

Mission of KACHA

Our mission is to develop and coordinate an effective, ongoing, and comprehensive HIV plan for the state of Kansas to ensure that the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) are achieved.

Vision of KACHA

Our vision is a Kansas where HIV and AIDS are effectively prevented and managed until the end of the epidemic.

Structure of KACHA

KACHA is made up of a voting membership referred to as the Steering Committee. Steering Committee members are either Standing Members or Members At Large. Standing Members include members representing key stakeholder HIV/AIDS and other service providers. At Large Members include members reflective of the various geographic regions in Kansas and the communities most affected by HIV/AIDS in Kansas.

Non-voting members, or associate members, are very important to the functioning and effectiveness of KACHA. Associate members may join any calls and meetings of the Steering Committee. Though associate members cannot vote at the Steering Committee level, they are invited to participate and vote at the standing and ad-hoc committee level (excluding the Executive Committee).

For more detailed information on the structure and functioning of KACHA:

KACHA Leadership

Two positions within KACHA are elected by the Steering Committee – the Community Co-Chair and the Secretary. The State Co-Chair is appointed by KDHE. Four of the Standing Committees elect their own chairs – Bylaws, Community Advisory, Evaluation and Planning, and Membership. The Executive Committee Chair is the KACHA Community Co-Chair; the Quality Management Committee Chair is the KDHE Quality Management Program Manager.

KACHA

Community Co-Chair: Debbie Guilbault
State Co-Chair: Travis Barnhart
Secretary: Diane Pancake
Bylaws Committee Chair: Vacant
Community Advisory Committee Chair: Marge Baker
Evaluation and Planning Committee Chair: Armelia Posey
Membership Committee Chair: Michael Madecky
Quality Management Committee Chair: Ebony Wardlaw

KDHE

KDHE HIV/AIDS Program Director: Ralph Wilmoth, rwilmoth@kdheks.gov, 785-296-8596
Prevention Advisor: Travis Barnhart, HIV Prevention Program Manager, tbarnhart@kdheks.gov, 785-296-1037
Ryan White Care Advisor: Jeni Mulqueen, Ryan White Part B & ADAP Program Manager, jmulqueen@kdheks.gov, 785-368-8218
Bylaws Committee Liaison: Liatris Studer, Evaluation Coordinator, lstuder@kdheks.gov, 785-368-8217
Community Advisory Committee Liaison: Kenny Cochrane, Linkage to Care Coordinator, kcochrane@kdheks.gov, 785-296-3328
Evaluation and Planning Committee Liaison: Travis Barnhart, HIV Prevention Program Manager, tbarnhart@kdheks.gov, 785-296-1037
Membership Committee Liaison: Dominique Saunders, Viral Hepatitis Coordinator and HIV Public Health Educator, dsaunders@kdheks.gov, 785-296-0752
Quality Management Committee Chair/Liaison: Ebony Wardlaw, Quality Management Program Manager, ewardlaw@kdheks.gov, 785-291-3610

Committees

Steering Committee

Currently the Steering Committee meets in-person twice per year and via conference call twice per year for a total of four meetings. Please refer to the calendar for dates and times of upcoming meetings and calls.