When Wil Murtaugh started working at ACR Health in the early 90’s, New York had 15,122 HIV infections in 1993 year, according to an HIV/AIDS surveillance report from the CDC.

Now, there are under 3,000 infections per year, and New York’s campaign to end the AIDS epidemic by 2020 aims to reduce that annual number to 750, according to a New York State Department of Health report.

Providing a whole spectrum of support services to people with chronic diseases, it serves nine counties through eight offices in the state, including Onondaga and Oswego counties.

ACR Health recently received a $47,478 fund from the Central New York Community Foundation to establish on-site mental health services for youths suffering from a range of mental illnesses or needing support during their sex or gender transformation.

The agency’s efforts to battle HIV/AIDS epidemic has gained substantial success, but the state is suffering from the substance abuse epidemic that is taking more lives away. Drug overdoses alone killed more than 60,000 people nationwide last year.

“For people like me and my director of volunteers who have been here for over 25 years, we’re having a little post-traumatic stress syndrome because when we started here, people were dying around us with AIDS,” said Murtaugh, ACR health executive director. “Now we are losing people because of overdoses. It’s just devastating because a lot of the people we are losing are very young and they have a full life ahead of them.”

The nonprofit offers free prevention education and health services to individuals from youths to adults, and on medical illnesses from HIV/AIDS and diabetes to substance use and mental health. ACR Health aims to provide equal health opportunity for all and does so without discrimination.

ACR Health also works with youths to reduce HIV/AIDS rates, teen pregnancy, Hepatitis C and substance use.

“It’s very important to educate young people before they engage in sexual activity so that they have information,” said Marissa Rice, director of youth services.

In the past, the most common pathway for new HIV infections was shared, contaminated needles. But the ACR Health adopted Safety First Syringe Exchange Program, known as SEP, in 2011 and began supplying injection drug users with sterile syringes and train them safe injection practices that reduce risk for transmitted diseases.

When Murtaugh first submitted his plan for SEP in 2010, he anticipated about 150 users. It was an underestimated number that’s grown to more than 2,500 today. With three Syringe Exchange sites in Syracuse and Utica, a fourth opening soon in Watertown and convenient mobile units that operate in communities for Syringe Exchange enrollees, Murtaugh said the program has been efficient in preventing injection drug users from contracting AIDS.

New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services recently funded ACR Health $250,000 to establish a Drug User Health Hub that will support drug users’ medical needs, rehabilitation and recovery. Among its services it will assist in care and planning for people who’ve experienced overdose and refer addicts to detoxification and rehabilitation programs.

Despite the challenges ACR Health faces, the nonprofit organization continues to grow and battle epidemics to help individuals achieve good health. It plans to open a community cafe in Watertown that will serve as an open space that can be used by other ACR Health offices.

The organization also plans to implement transitional care management that smooths rehabilitated addicts’ safe transition back to communities with housing opportunities and job counseling.

The organization staffs 14 health insurance navigators across nine counties who register over 10,000 people each year for health insurance.

Murtaugh said that the Affordable Care Act has been transformational to the people in need, and he has seen, “people leave here crying because they know they can go to the doctors that they have to go to, and they’ve been waiting for years.”

Published on November 1, 2017 at 9:43 pm

Contact Jiaman: jpeng04@syr.edu