NEW CONTRACT FOR AIDS CARE IN NORFOLK WINS U.S. APPROVAL.(LOCAL) - The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA)

Byline: HARRY MINIUM THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT\

NORFOLK -- The federal government has approved a contract between the city and Eastern Virginia Medical School that officials hope will reopen clinics that treated indigent people with HIV and AIDS.

The clinics closed nearly three months ago because EVMS and city officials could not agree on a new contract. The city administers a federal grant through the Ryan White CARE Act that provides treatment for patients without health insurance throughout Hampton Roads.

The impasse forced nearly 400 local AIDS patients to find new doctors.

The city and EVMS agreed to terms of a contract on May 29. Kevin Ropp, a spokesman for the Health Resources and Service Administration, said the federal government approved the deal between Norfolk and EVMS on Friday.

City Manager Regina V.K. Williams said she signed the contract on Friday and sent it on to EVMS on Monday. EVMS spokesman Doug Gardner said officials ``need a little time to review it,'' but hope to sign it today.

Gardner said he wasn't sure when the clinics would reopen, but hoped they would reopen soon.

Approval of the contract took three weeks longer than federal officials had previously said. Regardless, Tommy Bennett, a member of the Ryan White planning council that advises the city on priorities for AIDS treatment, said he is relieved that the deal is nearly done.

``I am so happy that we will be able to get these patients back into receiving the services they need,'' Bennett said.

The city cut off EVMS's funding on April 11 over a contract dispute. Funding for the clinics stopped on April 11 after city and EVMS officials could not agree on what services EVMS should provide.

City officials wanted EVMS to treat patients in South Hampton Roads and use other community clinics to treat patients on the Peninsula. EVMS wanted to continue treating patients throughout the region.

City officials also claimed that EVMS used a billing method - charging a set fee per patient - that the Ryan White guidelines did not allow. Dr. Edward C. Oldfield III, director of the infectious disease division at EVMS, said he has billed the city the same way for three years and insisted there is nothing that prohibits billing that way.

Meanwhile, it was learned last month that over the past four years, the city has failed to spend an average of $1 million in federal money for treating uninsured AIDS patients. Last year, nearly $1.6 million of $6 million given to the city for Ryan White patients went unspent even though hundreds of local AIDS patients were receiving no care.

Mayor Paul D. Fraim said last month that he hoped to hire a private firm to administer the Ryan White contract with EVMS.

``I understand discussions are going on along those lines,'' Williams said.

If so, it would mark the third time in five years that a change in managing the grant was made. After government auditors found problems with the way the Norfolk Health Department was managing the grant two years ago, the city manager's office took over.

Bennett said the important thing is that sick AIDS patients will soon begin receiving proper care.Contact Harry Minium at 446-2371 or at harry.minium@pilotonline.com

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HISTORY Eastern Virginia Medical School clinics closed about three months ago because school and city officials couldn't agree on a contract.