Across the Horizons | July 2026 Newsletter
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Tuscaloosa, AL
HIV: 262
PrEP: 262
Case Mgmt: 204
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Starkville, MS
HIV: 225
PrEP: 143
Case Mgmt: 158
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Oxford, MS
HIV: 242
PrEP: 29
Case Mgmt: 168
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Meridian, MS
HIV: 35
PrEP: 5
Case Mgmt: 95
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Montgomery, AL
HIV: 1,534
PrEP: 204
Case Mgmt: 1,140
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Dothan, AL
HIV: 786
PrEP: 63
Case Mgmt: 682
| | Honoring a Legacy of Leadership | | |
"Because you believed, we are here. Because you lead, we will continue."
We were honored, during the Grand Opening on April 7, 2026, to dedicate our newly renovated Montgomery service buildings to our CEO, Billy Kirkpatrick, in recognition of his visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to the mission of Five Horizons Health Services.
What began as a small clinic built on hope has grown into a lifeline for thousands because of Billy's dedication to expanding access to compassionate, quality healthcare. His leadership has helped break down barriers, reduce stigma, and create lasting change throughout the communities we serve.
This dedication reflects the countless lives impacted by his service and the legacy that continues to inspire our work every day.
Thank you, Billy, for your leadership, compassion, and commitment to our mission.
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Join us for Research Unplugged, an open-space event bringing together Five Horizons staff, clients, researchers, and community partners for meaningful conversations about research, collaboration, and the communities we serve.
Event Details:
- Monday, August 10, 2026
- 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
- 2567 Fairlane Drive, Building 2, Montgomery, AL
Registration is required and must be completed by Friday, July 31.
| | JULY EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH |
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Alexandria Haddox
Contracts & Grants Specialist | Montgomery, AL
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FROM THE FIELD:
PREVENTION & OUTREACH RECAP
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Tuscaloosa, AL
The Tuscaloosa team spent June serving communities across West Alabama through education, outreach, and HIV prevention. Rural Outreach Coordinator Victoria Lewis-Cox engaged children during the Unearth a Story Summer Reading Program in Livingston and encouraged students in the YouthBuild Program in Carrollton as they worked toward their GEDs. Ursula and Jamilah also led youth education sessions at First Missionary Baptist Church's summer camp and connected with incoming students during Stillman College's New Student Orientation.
The team continued supporting older adults through HIV education sessions in Eutaw and Emelle and provided 22 HIV screenings at the Senior Citizens Wellness and Fun Day in Livingston. They also partnered with Druid City Pride and Walgreens for National HIV Testing Day outreach before wrapping up the month with a community testing event at Hay Court Apartments, providing free HIV, HCV, and STI testing, behavioral health screenings for 40 residents, and community resources.
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Montgomery, AL
The Montgomery team celebrated National HIV Testing Day by engaging the community through education, outreach, and free HIV testing. The team partnered with Walgreens to provide testing and connect individuals with prevention resources before continuing the weekend at the Tip-Off Basketball Tournament, where they promoted HIV awareness, encouraged testing, and shared information about Five Horizons' services. Through these events, the team expanded access to care while building meaningful connections within the Montgomery community.
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Dothan, AL
The Dothan team recognized National HIV Testing Day by partnering with Walgreens to provide free HIV testing and prevention education to the community. Woodlens and Kerry encouraged individuals to know their status, shared valuable prevention resources, and helped increase awareness of the importance of routine HIV testing and access to care.
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Starkville, MS
The Starkville team spent June expanding access to HIV prevention services and community education. The team hosted a pop-up HIV testing event at Dollar General, bringing free, confidential testing and prevention resources directly into the community to reduce barriers to care.
Education remained a key focus throughout the month with an empowerment session at Sally Kate Winters Children's Home centered on purpose, confidence, and goal setting, as well as the team's monthly HIV/STI prevention education session at Pines and Cady Hill. The month concluded with National HIV Testing Day, where the team partnered with Walgreens to provide free, confidential HIV testing to 30 community members while promoting the importance of routine testing, prevention, and knowing your status.
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Oxford, MS
The Oxford team spent June strengthening community partnerships and expanding access to HIV prevention services across North Mississippi. The team connected with residents at the Oxford Housing Authority Community Health Fair and later returned to the Housing Authority to provide health education, share resources, and promote free HIV/STI testing and prevention services.
The team also participated in a Juneteenth Festival and Community Health Fair, engaging community members through education and conversations about available support programs. The month concluded with a Pride testing event in partnership with Pride of Tupelo, where staff provided free HIV testing and prevention resources while helping reduce stigma and encourage individuals to know their status.
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Meridian, MS
The Meridian team spent June engaging youth and connecting with the community through education and outreach. At the Boys & Girls Club, the team led an interactive discussion on kindness, respect, honesty, and building healthy relationships, encouraging youth to make positive choices and care for themselves and others.
In recognition of National HIV Testing Day, the team hosted a community outreach event to promote the importance of knowing your HIV status, reduce stigma, and share HIV prevention resources. The month also included outreach at the Meridian-Lauderdale County Public Library, where staff connected with community members, distributed educational materials, and raised awareness of Five Horizons' services and prevention programs.
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FY27 Appropriations Process Slowly Moving Forward
We are depending on Members in the House and the Senate to push back against proposed cuts to HIV funding that we know would be incredibly harmful to people we care about and to our goal of ending the HIV epidemic - so they need to hear directly from constituents how much we care about these programs! We ask you to join us in calling on Congress to completely reject the cuts proposed & fund HIV programs at levels adequate to meet the need in communities across America!
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FHHS Joins Organizations Across the Nation in Pushing Back Against Proposed OMB Rule
The Office of Management and Budget's proposed revisions to the Uniform Guidance would substantially expand executive branch authority over federal grantmaking by changing how grants are awarded, administered, and terminated, creating significant uncertainty for nonprofit organizations and other federal funding recipients.
FHHS is proud to join tens of thousands of organizations across the nation singing onto letters, reaching out to our Congresspeople, and submitting comments in support of fact-based, science-driven federal grantmaking.
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Join our Action Network
Joining the FHHS Advocacy Network (FAN) is a great low-barrier, low-commitment way to get more involved in local, state, and federal advocacy efforts!
By signing up, you are simply agreeing to receive periodic emails from us with opportunities to get engaged in activities such as:
- Advocacy & Policy Trainings
- Sharing educational campaigns on social media
- Calling, writing, & emailing elected officials
- Meeting with elected officials
- HIV Advocacy Days in Jackson & Montgomery
-
AIDS Watch in Washington, D.C.
- So much more!
| | | | A mental health center did not provide a notice of privacy practices (notice) to a father or his minor daughter, a patient at the center. In response to OCR’s investigation, the mental health center acknowledged that it had not provided the complainant and his daughter with a notice prior to her mental health evaluation. To resolve this matter, the mental health center revised its intake assessment policy and procedures to specify that the notice will be provided and the clinician will attempt to obtain a signed acknowledgement of receipt of the notice prior to the intake assessment. The acknowledgement form is now included in the intake package of forms. The center also provided OCR with written assurance that all policy changes were brought to the attention of the staff involved in the daughter’s care and then disseminated to all staff affected by the policy change. | | | |
