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AVOL Kentucky Awarded Gilead FOCUS Grant to Expand HIV & Hepatitis C Outreach and Testing

Feb 11, 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact | Dan Koett | 859.797.3646 | dkoett@framingyournarrative.com

AVOL Kentucky Awarded Gilead FOCUS Grant to Expand HIV & Hepatitis C Outreach and Testing

Lexington, KY (February 11, 2026) – AVOL Kentucky is proud to announce it has been granted an award from Gilead Sciences, Inc. through the company’s FOCUS Program that supports innovative, evidence-based strategies to expand routine screening and linkage to care and prevention for HIV and hepatitis C.

 

This award will allow AVOL Kentucky to significantly scale its outreach and screening efforts by partnering with 17 addiction treatment programs across the Bluegrass Region, including both short- and long-term facilities. Through these partnerships, AVOL will increase access to lifesaving screening services and strengthen linkages to comprehensive prevention and care for individuals at elevated risk of exposure to HIV and hepatitis C. The project builds on AVOL’s longstanding experience providing community-based testing, education, and prevention.

“Early detection and linkage to care are essential to ending the HIV and hepatitis C epidemics,” said Jon Parker, CEO of AVOL Kentucky. “With support from the Gilead FOCUS Program, we will offer routine screening and navigation services directly into addiction treatment settings, meeting people where they are and engaging them in prevention, care, and support.”

With the support of this award, AVOL Kentucky’s initiative will:

  • Expand routine HIV and hepatitis C screening and rapid testing within 17 designated addiction treatment programs, offering screening to 100% of individuals that enter these programs in the Bluegrass region.
  • Provide tailored disease-state and risk education to individuals navigating addiction treatment recovery.
  • Strengthen linkage to comprehensive prevention services, which includes both behavioral and biomedical.
  • Deploy an implementation science framework to evaluate, adapt, and optimize evidence‑based practices.

“This award will help us reach people who often face significant barriers to screening and care,” added Ariel Norvell, Project Director at AVOL Kentucky. “We are grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with FOCUS programs across the country while bringing these service enhancements to Central Kentucky.”

Established in 2010, by Gilead Sciences, the FOCUS Program supports organizations in developing and implementing best practices for institutional policy-driven screening, linkage to comprehensive prevention services and care following national and international public health guidelines. FOCUS partners aim to close the gap in health disparity and inequity for communities disproportionately impacted by high rates of morbidity, mortality, and late diagnosis of blood-borne viruses. FOCUS funding supports HIV, HCV, and HBV screening and linkage to a first medical appointment. FOCUS partners do not use FOCUS awards for activities beyond linkage to a first medical appointment.

Supported by funding from Gilead Sciences, Inc.

For more information, please call (859) 225-3000 or visit AVOLKY.org.

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About AVOL Kentucky

AVOL’s mission is to collaborate with communities to end HIV in Kentucky. AVOL currently provides housing and supportive services to over 300 low-income men and women living with HIV/AIDS in more than 70 counties in central and eastern Kentucky. AVOL operates Solomon House, a long-term permanent community residence for people with AIDS. AVOL provides free HIV and other STI testing as well as HIV prevention education and outreach to those at-risk in our communities. AVOL also serves as an important link connecting those newly diagnosed and t