In 2020, AIDS United honored Arianna Inurritegui-Lint for her commitment to serving and supporting the trans community of South Florida with the the Robert Wood Johnson Award for Health Equity. By creating Arianna’s Center, Inurritegui-Lint was able to address the high rates of HIV within the trans community by providing testing, access to quality care, and comprehensive case management that addressed the challenges faced by the trans community.
Arianna’s Center helps over 500 trans people a year with name changes, health care access and educational opportunities. Inurritegui-Lint says her experience as a trans woman called her to work to fight the stigma and discrimination she experienced in order to create a safer environment for the trans community in South Florida.
This is just one amazing story of a person working closely with a community to promote health equity for all. In the past, AIDS United has also honored D. Rashaan Gilmore, the founder, CEO and president of BlaqOut Inc., an organization prioritizing Black queer health, and Yolo Akili Robinson, fonder of BEAM, an organization prioritizing mental health in Black communities.
Now, we are on the search again for another amazing health advocate who is eliminating health inequities in their communities.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-AIDS United Award for Health Equity recognizes individuals or teams of no more than two individuals, who have successfully implemented a systems-change approach to reduce health inequities within the past two years, in one or more of the following areas:
- Access to quality care.
- Education.
- Employment.
- Income.
- Community environment.
- Housing.
- Public safety.
We are accepting nominations for the Robert Wood Johnson Award for Health Equity through Friday, Oct. 15, at 11:59 p.m. EDT. All applications should be submitted here. For more information, please contact Laura Gerson, AIDS United program associate, at lgerson@aidsunited.org.
