For the past two years, Mitch Moctezuma has been visiting the Coastal Bend Wellness Foundation to routinely get tested for HIV and sexually transmitted infections.
He said he recalled hearing about a rise of positive HIV cases in the Coastal Bend and decided to start getting tested every three months.
“I wanted to be safe,” Moctezuma said during a recent HIV test. “I didn’t like those scares. Knowing your sexual health is important, knowing that you’re not spreading anything to anyone and you’re healthy. The Wellness Foundation has done a great job of getting into the community to promote sexual awareness.”
The Trump administration’s budget proposal for 2026 aims to make cuts to HIV prevention in clinics and community organizations. The Texas Department of Health Services notified the Coastal Bend Wellness Foundation on May 30 the department’s HIV prevention grant has been paused.
The grant covers HIV testing, prevention medication costs and treatment for other sexually transmitted infections like syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia. It also acts as a surveillance program to monitor the number of positive HIV cases in an area.
Bill Hoelscher, CEO of the foundation, said he “honestly doesn’t know what to do” knowing he no longer has funding to administer free testing for individuals. He said that he’s been using funds from other grants to keep the program available, but the program may end at the end of June when it runs out of supplies.
“July 1 is when things are going to really take a rough turn,” Hoelscher said. “We’re going to have to make a decision on if we’re going to continue or not, which is sad. We’ve been doing this for more than 30 years, and we’re the only AIDS service organization within 12 counties.”
Staff members also take hits from loss of grant
The Coastal Bend Wellness Foundation operates 26 programs. HIV and STI testing is one out of many, Hoelscher said, but it’s “exceptionally important because it’s what we started off as.”
The Coastal Bend Wellness Foundation was established in 1986. The center, then known as the Coastal Bend AIDS Foundation, was the “one-disease shop” for people who were afflicted to receive basic care.
More than 600 people live with HIV in the Corpus Christi area, according to the Coastal Bend Wellness Foundation.
Hoelscher said since the foundation found out about the grant pausing, he’s about $12,000 to $15,000 “in the hole.”
The grant gives the agency about $237,000 a year, which includes staff pay for that department. Hoelscher said those employees are currently being paid through unrestricted funds, a savings account.
“Normally, we use the grant to pay our employees and get reimbursed,” Hoelscher said. “But now, with it on pause, we can’t bill the state. I hate to let people go, but that might be where we are by the end of the month.”
Health district still funded, for now
Dante Gonzalez, the interim director of the Corpus Christi-Nueces County Public Health District, said the department has not been affected by any grant pausing — yet.
He said he’s noticed some budget reductions affecting areas, but the health district is still able to provide free HIV/STI testing.
“That doesn’t mean that in the future we may not get affected,” Gonzalez said in a phone call. “We have the capacity to continue testing, and we’re going to continue doing so as long as we have our resources that are still available. That could change in maybe two or three weeks because that’s how fast we’re seeing some of these changes.”
Gonzalez said people should always know their health status, especially those who may have been exposed to a disease. He said while individuals may get tested by their primary care physician, a free clinic helps administer specific tests and educate people on sexual health.
“From the public health perspective, we provide more than just a testing aspect,” Gonzalez said. “We go out and reach out to the contact with contact tracing and make sure people who may have been exposed get the proper medication to ensure nothing develops into something chronic. If funding was to be reduced, that would slow down the process by which people know their status.”
Those wanting to get tested may contact the department at 361-826-7200 to set up an appointment. The health district is located at 1702 Horne Road, and a satellite clinic operates at 710 E. Main Ave. in Robstown on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
‘We’ll survive this’
Hoelscher said he’s currently applying for emergency grants and seeking funding to keep the program running month to month. He urged community members to contact their state and federal representatives to push for funding.
Hoelscher said that because there is no surveillance occurring, the administration is not counting cases.
“If they’re not counting, you don’t exist,” Hoelscher said. “When new federal funds come out, they won’t think there’s a problem if there are no numbers. They’re eradicating the community and making us disappear.”
Gonzalez said he realizes the community is looking toward people in public health not only for services but also for guidance during this uncertain time. He said he remembers when people saw public health workers as superheroes five years ago in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It almost felt like we were that quarterback that hit the receiver in the last quarter of the game, and you walk out of the field and everybody’s cheering for you,” Gonzalez said. “Now, it feels more like we’re zeros. Funding’s being cut, and we’re just trying to figure out how to continue serving our community, but that’s how public health is. We’re a resilient group, and we’ll survive this.”
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John Oliva covers entertainment and community news in South Texas. Have a story idea? Contact him at john.oliva@caller.com.
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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Federal funding halt threatens HIV and STI testing in Corpus Christi
Reporting by John Oliva, Corpus Christi Caller Times / Corpus Christi Caller Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
