Caracole, Author at Caracole https://caracole.org/author/hello/ A HIV non-profit based in Cincinnati, Ohio Thu, 02 Jul 2026 21:35:22 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.4 Advocates say Ohio bill would unjustly penalize people living with HIV https://caracole.org/advocates-say-ohio-bill-would-unjustly-penalize-people-living-with-hiv/ Thu, 02 Jul 2026 21:35:22 +0000 https://caracole.org/?p=19327 The post Advocates say Ohio bill would unjustly penalize people living with HIV appeared first on Caracole.

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]]> How an Ohio vending machine has become a harm-reduction lifeline https://caracole.org/how-an-ohio-vending-machine-has-become-a-harm-reduction-lifeline/ Tue, 23 Jun 2026 13:27:00 +0000 https://caracole.org/?p=19315 The post How an Ohio vending machine has become a harm-reduction lifeline appeared first on Caracole.

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]]> Hundreds to take part in annual Cincinnati 5K to raise money in the fight against AIDS https://caracole.org/hundreds-to-take-part-in-annual-cincinnati-5k-to-raise-money-in-the-fight-against-aids/ Fri, 27 Mar 2026 21:43:00 +0000 https://caracole.org/?p=18406 The post Hundreds to take part in annual Cincinnati 5K to raise money in the fight against AIDS appeared first on Caracole.

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]]> Meet the members of Cincinnati’s new LGBTQIA+ Commission https://caracole.org/meet-the-members-of-cincinnatis-new-lgbtqia-commission/ Wed, 25 Mar 2026 20:19:31 +0000 https://caracole.org/?p=19312 The post Meet the members of Cincinnati’s new LGBTQIA+ Commission appeared first on Caracole.

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]]> Caracole CEO and Prevention Director on WDJO’s What’s the Point? https://caracole.org/caracole-ceo-and-prevention-director-on-wdjos-whats-the-point/ Sat, 20 Dec 2025 22:14:11 +0000 https://caracole.org/?p=18118 On December 20, 2025, Caracole joined Andy and Jake Furman on WDJO’s popular morning segment, What’s the Point? CEO Jeniece D. Jones, JD, MPA, and Director of Prevention Suzanne Bachmeyer shared their personal journeys to Caracole and gave listeners a behind-the-scenes look at how the organization supports people at risk for and living with HIV […]

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On December 20, 2025, Caracole joined Andy and Jake Furman on WDJO’s popular morning segment, What’s the Point? CEO Jeniece D. Jones, JD, MPA, and Director of Prevention Suzanne Bachmeyer shared their personal journeys to Caracole and gave listeners a behind-the-scenes look at how the organization supports people at risk for and living with HIV through prevention, housing and case management services.

From our beginnings as a non-medical hospice in the late ’80s to today’s comprehensive programs, we continue to evolve while staying focused on compassion, community and inclusivity. The conversation highlighted the passion of staff and volunteers, the importance of lived experience in shaping services and the organization’s ongoing mission to positively change lives in the fight against HIV.

Listen to the full segment below.

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What's the Point?

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]]> Dignity, Respect, and Health Justice: Highlighting Leaders in our Community https://caracole.org/dignity-respect-and-health-justice-highlighting-leaders-in-our-community/ Tue, 24 Jun 2025 14:25:50 +0000 https://caracole.org/?p=15998 The post Dignity, Respect, and Health Justice: Highlighting Leaders in our Community appeared first on Caracole.

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]]> Now Is the Time to End the HIV Epidemic https://caracole.org/now-is-the-time-to-end-the-hiv-epidemic/ Fri, 06 Jun 2025 18:47:20 +0000 https://caracole.org/?p=15805 We have the tools to end the HIV epidemic in our lifetime. But 40 years of progress is at risk due to proposed cuts to federal funding for HIV prevention, housing, care and research. Dr. Esly Caldwell, a Caracole Board of Directors Member, has been treating individuals with HIV since the earliest days. In this […]

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We have the tools to end the HIV epidemic in our lifetime. But 40 years of progress is at risk due to proposed cuts to federal funding for HIV prevention, housing, care and research. Dr. Esly Caldwell, a Caracole Board of Directors Member, has been treating individuals with HIV since the earliest days. In this powerful open letter, Dr. Caldwell reminds us how far we’ve come—and what we must do to continue the progress we’ve made.

An Open Letter on the Power of Prevention

We are living in a moment once thought impossible. About 40 years ago, the world faced an epidemic of a new virus that horribly killed nearly all who got it, worldwide—men, women, infants…HIV.

Today HIV is no longer a death sentence. With one daily pill or a long-acting shot, people can live full, healthy lives. With treatment, people living with HIV can become virally suppressed—meaning they cannot transmit the virus.

  • We can test in minutes—at clinics, in communities, even at home.
  • We can prevent HIV with a daily pill or a long-acting shot.
  • We can educate before exposure, engage before crisis, and build trust before stigma takes hold.
  • We can stop transmission—when prevention is prioritized, funded, and delivered with care. We are not hoping for a solution. We have one.

As a physician, then and now, I have witnessed this progress from the frontlines. I know what it took to get here—and what we stand to lose. In the 1980s and ’90s, we faced an epidemic without tools, without urgency and without the will to act. Today, we have all three.

And yet, right now, the US Department of Health and Human Services is making deep, harmful cuts to HIV prevention, care, housing and research.

These cuts would gut programs that work—and reverse four decades of medical, scientific and community progress. Every new HIV infection adds over $500,000 in lifetime costs. Defunding prevention isn’t just reckless and cruel. It’s expensive. And it’s wrong.

I serve on the Board of Caracole, a Cincinnati nonprofit that serves our community with proven, people-centered care: targeted outreach, education, testing and support. This work and work from other organizations like this across the country is what stops HIV in its tracks. But it can’t continue without public investment.

You have power. Use it. Call your US Senators and Representatives. Say this loud and clear: “Fully fund HIV prevention and care. Don’t take us backward.” Share the message: #SaveHIVFunding. Learn more: caracole.org/saveHIVfunding

Let’s not pause before the finish line. Let’s cross it—together.

Esly Caldwell, MD, MPH, FRCP(C), FAAFP, FACP

An older man with short gray hair, glasses, and a neatly trimmed beard smiles warmly. Wearing a light gray suit jacket, blue shirt, and tie, he stands against a white background—an advocate committed to helping end HIV through prevention efforts.

Esly Caldwell, MD, MPH, FRCP(C ), FAAFP, FACP, has had an extensive medical and leadership career, including serving as Medical Director of the Cincinnati Health Department, President of the Academy of Medicine and head of the Sickle Cell Department at UC Hospital. He continues to practice family medicine part-time, with a focus on providing care to patients with chemical addiction. Esly also volunteers with his wife on medical missions in Ecuador. He’s a Civil War history buff and has been both a licensed pilot and a spinning instructor.

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]]> ‘We have reversed over 4,000 overdoses’ Harm reduction vending machine still saving lives four years later https://caracole.org/we-have-reversed-over-4000-overdoses-harm-reduction-vending-machine-still-saving-lives-four-years-later/ Thu, 10 Apr 2025 20:54:59 +0000 https://caracole.org/?p=15314 The post ‘We have reversed over 4,000 overdoses’ Harm reduction vending machine still saving lives four years later appeared first on Caracole.

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]]> Federal funding cuts could threaten efforts to end HIV epidemic, local nonprofit warns https://caracole.org/federal-funding-cuts-could-threaten-efforts-to-end-hiv-epidemic-local-nonprofit-warns/ Mon, 07 Apr 2025 22:00:07 +0000 https://caracole.org/?p=15309 The post Federal funding cuts could threaten efforts to end HIV epidemic, local nonprofit warns appeared first on Caracole.

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]]> Cincinnati nonprofit hosts annual fundraiser for HIV prevention, care https://caracole.org/cincinnati-nonprofit-hosts-annual-fundraiser-for-hiv-prevention-care/ Sun, 06 Apr 2025 21:58:45 +0000 https://caracole.org/?p=15305 The post Cincinnati nonprofit hosts annual fundraiser for HIV prevention, care appeared first on Caracole.

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