TRI-COUNTY STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING
May 13 2026, 10:00 am – 11:15 am
By Zoom Videoconference
DRAFT MINUTES
Members Present: J. Palmer (Co-chair), L. Cyrus (Co-chair), M. Acevedo, V. Alvarez, D. Anderson, M.
Diaz, J. Gago, , L. Hakim, K. Palencia-Lua, A. Pizarro, P. Tang
Members Absent: B. Malloy, A. Hardman, P. Germinaro, J. Gobler, A. Milian, A. Ruggiero, K. Scott
(D.Anderson attended in absence) S.Servadio, S. Thomas
Other PC Members Present: B. Fields, J. Schoepp
Guests Present: Heather Zuckerwise-Choi
Staff Present: NYC DOHMH: D. Klotz (Governmental Co-Chair), D. Saab, M. Navejas, L. Moya-Adames,
A. Omeyoma, J. Acosta, A. Eppinger-Meiring
Agenda Item # 1: Roll Call/Moment of Silence/Announcements
LaShonda Cyrus and Julian Palmer opened the meeting with a roll call of members followed by a
moment of silence. The minutes for the April 8th 2026, meeting were approved with no changes.
During Announcements, Laura M.A. invited members to attend the upcoming Needs Assessment Committee
meeting, Thursday, May 13th from 2-4p to learn about Long COVID and HIV. Doienne S. invited members
to attend the upcoming Integration of Care Committee meeting, Wednesday, May 20th from 10-12p to
learn about CHAIN’s latest report on digital health utilization among NYC PWH.
Doienne S. also shared registration and scholarship information on the 2026 United States
Conference on HIV/AIDS, September 17th- 20th.
Agenda Item #2: Updates
Consumer Update
Committee members emphasized the importance of addressing the following concerns:
- Medicaid transportation, frailty, and limited spending allowance on lunch for support groups are
still ongoing issues.
See page 3 for additional updates Agenda Item #3: Planning Council HIV Health Immigrant Survey Results
Heather Zuckerwise-Choi from delivered a presentation on closed-loop referrals, an approach to care
coordination that enables providers to refer individuals to services and track whether those
referrals are successfully completed.
She provided an overview of the nationwide technology platform Findhelp, which connects individuals
to free or low-cost community services through a searchable directory and referral system available
to both free and paid users.
Kindly review today’s meeting minutes and send me any corrections.
Key Highlights
- Platform Overview
o Findhelp operates nationwide, covering every U.S. ZIP code with over 987,000 program locations.
o Organizations can join the network to send and receive referrals.
o The platform facilitates approximately 350,000 closed-loop referrals per month.
o In New York State:
▪ Over 12 million searches conducted
▪ 2,572 in-network programs serving New Yorkers - Common Service Needs
o Most frequently searched categories:
▪ Housing (e.g., rent assistance, utilities, housing placement)
▪ Food (e.g., food pantries) - Closed-Loop Referral System
o In-network referrals: Organizations opt in to receive referrals and can track outcomes.
o Out-of-network referrals: Referrals can still be made, though tracking may be limited.
o Referrals require client consent, and information is shared securely on a 1:1 basis.
o Supports coalition data sharing, with systems that are HIPAA-compliant and high-trust certified.
▪ Data & Quality Assurance
o Directory information is regularly validated by Find Help staff, with updates accepted by
providers, partners, and users.
o Technology is used to identify outdated listing information.
o Service-level expectation: 95% of listings should be up to date.
o Cloud-based data storage (Google infrastructure) ensures security and protection.
▪ Outcomes Tracking
o Built-in outcome tracking tools allow providers to document results beyond referral completion.
o Outcomes are tailored by service type to better quantify impact.
▪ Additional Features
o Free tools for screening eligibility for government benefits
2
o Program management tools available at no cost for organizations
o Platform supports 135 languages, with the ability to send resources in a client’s
preferred language
o Configurable features (e.g., capacity management, best-fit matching)
▪ System Integration
o Supports 1115 Waiver initiatives
o Works with FQHCs and not for profits across New York State
Platform Demonstration
A live demo was conducted showcasing how to:
- Search for programs by ZIP code and service need
- Apply filters (e.g., income eligibility, population served, language)
- Access detailed program information (including location, notes, and contact options)
- Providers can request and send referrals; track follow-up status
- Print or email resources in a preferred language
- Save favorite resources and add internal notes
- View user referral progress and follow-up details
Existing Find Help free and low cost service directory examples included: NYC Health and Hospitals,
AARP, DC Department of Health – Link U.
Members asked if FindHelp had interoperability capacity to exchange information across other
closed-loop referral platforms. Heather Z.C, said that FindHelp can currently integrate into other
case management platforms (e.g., Salesforce) and is looking into sending data through health
information exchanges in the future.
Doienne S. asked if FindHelp allows users to create referral lists of trusted partners under their
account. Heather Z.C. confirmed that the platform has a Favorites folder to bookmark preferred
providers with additional setting features for paid users.
Recipient Report
Johanna Acosta highlighted several important HIV awareness initiatives, including and , emphasizing
the disproportionate impact of HIV on young people of color and transgender communities in New York
City. The report also announced that registration opened for the 2026 National Ryan White
Conference on HIV Care & Treatment and outlined updates from the Health Resources and Services
Administration regarding changes to the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program funding formula, which will now
use individuals’ current addresses instead of residence at diagnosis to better align resources with
where people currently live and receive care.
The report also shared updates on major Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program initiatives and funding
opportunities. Awardees were announced for the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiatives, including Be
Into Health (BiTH) and Enhanced Data to Care (eD2C) programs, supporting services for women, young
people, older adults, and MSM living with HIV. Additionally, the Ryan White Part A Services in the
Tri-County Region Concept Paper was released, outlining plans for a competitive Request for
Proposals process beginning in 2026 for services starting March 2027.
3
4
Lastly, the report summarized ongoing program and quality management activities led by the New York
City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and its Bureau of Hepatitis, HIV, and Sexually
Transmitted Infections. These included provider trainings, Medicaid and SNAP policy briefings for
Planning Council members, updates on STI and hepatitis surveillance data, and the announcement of a
renewed five-year partnership with ONE Condoms to support safer sex product distribution citywide.
The report also noted leadership changes within the Health Department and highlighted new
peer-reviewed HIV research publications authored by BHHS staff.
Planning Council and Federal Administration Update
David Klotz provided a Planning Council and federal budget update.
The EMA received a Partial Notice of Award for Grant Year (GY) 2026 from HRSA. The EMA will receive
$24.3M. Final awards will be processed as soon as HRSA receives the full 2026 appropriation amount
for this program. Until then any enhancements to program funding for Tri-County will be announced
upon receiving the full award.
The Priority Setting and Resource Allocation Committee will discuss the GY 26 reprogramming plan
including the flexibility to move funds between service categories in order to enhance contracts
that are overperforming. They will also receive an ADAP update presentation.
The next Planning Council meeting will be held May 28th and will feature presentations on the NYS
Integrated HIV Prevention and Care Plan with a vote to concur with the plan. Final awards for GY
2026 from HRSA is still pending to inform the discussion the Priority Setting and Resource
Allocation Committee will have on the scenario spending plan GY 26 reprogramming plan for
uncommitted funds – which will determine if Tri-County will get the full enhancement to their Food
and Nutrition programs.
David K. also highlighted that the Council is undergoing their member recruitment process for a 3
year team appointment. TCSC currently has tow members who are appointed to the Council – members of
Steering Committee are encouraged to apply here: https://nyhiv.org/membership-form/ . If anyone
needs assistance with the membership application, Abraham Omeyoma (aomeyoma1@health.nyc.gov) the
Council’s Community Coordinator is available to assist with the process.
Adjournment
The Next Steering Committee Meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 10th 10-11:30 AM.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.
