The purpose of Part A of the Act is to provide emergency services to HIV-positive individuals in eligible metropolitan areas (EMA) with more than 2,000 AIDS cases. Long Island became eligible for these funds in 1992. The legislation requires that a single grantee be selected (Nassau or Suffolk County), but that the local governments develop an “intergovernmental agreement” on how the funds are shared. Nassau and Suffolk counties agreed that Nassau would be the grantee and that they would select a "technical support agency" whose dual purpose is to: 1) administer contracts and monitor the programs under this grant funding and 2) operate a planning council for these funds. The counties selected United Way of Long Island as the technical support agency in 1997.
In 1992, the first Part A grant funding was awarded to the Nassau-Suffolk region at approximately $2 million dollars. Over the years that amount has risen as high as $6 million and most recently in 2009 the funding level is $6.5 million dollars. To date, Ryan White has allocated over $32 million dollars in funding to agencies in Nassau and Suffolk Counties that provided services to individuals living with HIV/AIDS. A portion of the Part A funding is designated under the Minority AIDS Initiative, the goal of which is to improve health outcomes and reduce disparities in disproportionately impacted minority communities. United Way of Long Island performs three major functions related to these funds: administration, quality management and planning council support.
Click here for a List of Ryan White Part A funded agencies