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OUR HISTORY

a brief look back
1985
  • BCAP founded. 2 volunteers work 2 afternoons per week on a borrowed phone line. 49 people served.

  • Blood banks begin screening the country’s blood for HIV antibodies.

  • AIDS cases reported on every populated continent in the world.

  • 20,470 AIDS cases have been reported in the U.S.

  • Actor Rock Hudson passes away from complications due to AIDS and leaves funds to start up amfAR.

1986
  • 37,061 AIDS cases have been reported in the U.S.

  • Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is declared the virus that leads to AIDS.

1987
  • BCAP has five volunteers and regular office hours.

  • The American Medical Association rules that doctors are obligated to provide treatment for people with AIDS.

  • President Reagan makes the first public address on AIDS.

  • 59,572 AIDS cases have been reported in the U.S.

  • Larry Kramer starts ACT UP in New York.

  • FDA approves Western Blot testing for HIV antibodies.

  • The AIDS Quilt is displayed for the first time.

1988
  • BCAP has 25 volunteers and a new home at 934 Pearl Street. The food bank opens.

  • 578 HIV cases in Boulder County.

  • Human trials of anti-HIV vaccine begin.

  • 89,864 AIDS cases have been reported in the U.S.

  • The first annual World AIDS Day is recognized on December 1, 1988.

1989
  • BCAP expands office hours. Nancy Brandauer becomes first paid staff.

  • The FDA authorizes pre-approval distribution of AZT for treatment of pediatric HIV cases.

  • 115, 786 AIDS cases have been reported in the U.S.

1990
  • BCAP receives federal funding for case management services. BCAP finds a new home at 2118 14th Street. Condom Squad begins. AIDS Memorial Garden christened.

  • Ryan White succumbs to AIDS at the age of 18.

  • 161,073 AIDS cases have been reported in the U.S.

  • Congress creates the American Disability Act (ADA), prohibiting disability discrimination (which includes HIV/AIDS) in the workplace.

1991
  •  One BCAP case manager serves 90 clients. First prevention staff hired.

  • CDC cuts funding for 23 of 27 national programs of AIDS prevention in minority communities.

  • 206,392 AIDS cases have been reported in the U.S.

  • Basketball player, Magic Johnson, announces that he is living with HIV.

  • Musician, Freddie Mercury, passes away from bronchial pneumonia due to AIDS.

1992
  • BCAP Interfaith AIDS Coalition begins.  BCAP has 145 trained volunteers. KBCO begins donating portion of sales from their Studio C disc. Second case manager hired to serve 125 clients.

  • First clinical trial of multiple drug therapy is held.

  • 242,000 AIDS cases are reported in the U.S.

  • AIDS becomes the leading cause of death for cisgender men ages 25-44.

1993
  • BCAP named Best Boulder Art Event for Art Auction by the Daily Camera.

  • Bilingual case manager hired.

  • AIDS is the leading cause of death for young adults in 64 U.S. cities.

  • 399,250 AIDS cases have been reported in the U.S.

  • President Clinton establishes the White House Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP).

  • The CDC declares that CD4+ counts below 200 classify an AIDS diagnosis.

  • The movie “Philadelphia” is released in theaters and is the first Hollywood movie to discuss AIDS.

  • The FDA approves the “female” (“internal”) condom.

1994
  • The polyurethane condom for men appears on the market.

  • Health and Human Services announces the eighteen members of the National Task Force on AIDS Drug Development.

  • 441,528 AIDS cases have been reported in the U.S.

  • AIDS becomes the leading cause of death for ALL Americans aged 25-44

1995
  • BCAP Latino Outreach program launched. First Halloween Bash fundraiser. Beacon Clinic opens.

  • HIV is the leading cause of death of Americans 24 to 44 years of age. But the U.S. also experiences the first drop in the annual death rate since the beginning of the epidemic.

  • 513,486 cases of AIDS reported in the U.S.

  • Rap artist, Eazy-E, passes away from AIDS complications 1 month after being diagnosed with HIV.

  • The first annual National HIV Testing Day is recognized on June 27, 1995.

  • President Clinton establishes the Presidential Advisory Committee on HIV/AIDS (PACHA).

1996
  • The BCAP budget, which started at $13, 676 in 1985, now tops $.5 million.

  • The FDA approves the first HIV home testing that can be purchased over-the-counter.

  • The number of AIDS diagnoses starts to decline for the first time since it was recognized.

  • AIDS is no longer the leading cause of death of all Americans aged 25-44.

  • UNAIDS is created.

1997
  • BCAP sells 450 boxes of holiday greeting cards. Latino outreach media campaign begins. BCAP house renovation begins. 200 clients are served.

  • AIDS deaths in the U.S. drop 47% since 1996 due to protease inhibitors.

1998
  • BCAP receives donation of two-bedroom house from Rachel Walton in memory of James Curley.

  • Renovation of BCAP house complete.

  • An analysis of a blood sample preserved since 1959 shows that the first HIV infections occurred in the late 1940s or early 1950s.

1999
  • BCAP first annual Midsummer Night’s Walk.

  • The first large-scale study of HIV infection among gay men in New York City finds that large numbers have become infected with HIV in the last two years.

2000
  • Tile Memorial Wall is mounted in the BCAP house.

  • BCAP has 17 staff members, (13 full-time) and 300 trained volunteers. BCAP is open and staffed 50+ hours a week and serves 200 HIV+ individuals and their families.

2001
  • BCAP creates HIV in the Workplace Outreach Program.

  • A local philanthropist generously donates a lot on Elder Street in Boulder. BCAP begins work to build permanent affordable housing for HIV positive people.

  • BCAP donates 10% of the Midsummer Night’s Walk revenues to international AIDS relief efforts.

2002
  • Scavenger Hunt becomes BCAP’s first fundraiser to be held in Broomfield County.

  • Board, staff, volunteers and community members develop a Five Year Strategic Plan.

  • A new agency video and website are unveiled.

  • 793,026 cases of AIDS reported in the U.S. It is estimated that 40 million people worldwide are living with HIV/AIDS.

  • BCAP’s HIV Care Services programs serve 335 clients this year.

  • UNAIDS declares HIV/AIDS as the fourth leading cause of death globally.

  • The FDA approves the first, rapid HIV test in non-clinical settings.

2003
  • BCAP provides office space for Boulder Pride and consolidates its operations under one roof at 2188 14th Street, moving the BCAP Market from the “Little House” at 2132 14th Street to the basement of the BCAP House.

  • Eaton House opens – a collaborative project between BCAP, Boulder County, City of Boulder, St. John’s, Gill Foundation, the Bamboo Fund and many others including the Youth Build Project of the Boulder Valley School District. This permanently affordable home houses 4 BCAP clients.

  • BCAP offers on-site OraSure HIV antibody testing in partnership with Boulder County Public Health.

  • President Bush establishes President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

2004
  • The Beacon Clinic is re-established as a Ryan White Title III Early Intervention Services medical clinic in partnership with BCAP and Boulder Community Hospital. BCAP begins integrating case management services with the clinic, ensuring comprehensive service delivery.

  • A CDC analysis of new HIV infections in 29 states that have names-based HIV reporting – not including New York and California – finds that 35% of new HIV infections between 1999 and 2002 resulted from heterosexual sex; of these, 63% were women and 74% were African-American.

  • BCAP expands its HIV anitibody testing to include OraQuick – providing results within 20 minutes.

  • BCAP experiences its second year of cuts from its federal funding source – the Ryan White CARE Act – to the tune of 35%.

2005
  • BCAP case managers begin collaborating with case managers at the Northern Colorado AIDS Project to ensure equity in care as the Beacon Clinic begins to serve patients in northeast Colorado.

  • 14% of individuals newly infected with HIV already exhibit resistence to at least one anti-HIV medication.

  • Ryan White CARE Act Reauthorization is underway, with major proposed changes in principles, funding guidelines, and implications for BCAP.

  • BCAP and Boulder County Public Health initiate offsite HIV testing and counseling at various community businesses and organizations.

  • The US DHHS releases the first recommendations for non-occupational PEP (nPEP) use to lower risk of HIV infection after exposures.

2006
  • BCAP Longmont office moves into the Powell Service Center, sharing office space with Intercambio de Communidades and Boulder Valley Women’s Health Center.

  • A quarter century has passed since the first AIDS case was reported.

  • 682 people have been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in Boulder County. Of those, 143 have died, and 539 are living with the disease.

  • BCAP and Boulder County Public Health collaborate on the first annual National HIV Testing Day community event.

  • The CDC recommends that anyone between the ages of 13-64 receive routine HIV screenings.

2007
  • The Center for Disease Control estimates that more than 565,000 people have died in the United States since the beginning of the epidemic.

  • BCAP launches Atlas, a peer-based education, service learning, testing and support program for men who have sex with men, with a mission to “build a world where HIV transmission is rare”.

  • BCAP pilots Hispanos Para la Salud serving Longmont’s Hispanic/Latino community.

  • Timothy Ray Brown, a 42-year old San Francisco man co-infected with leukemia and HIV, receives a stem cell transplant of rare, HIV-resistant cells in Germany and is declared HIV-free.

  • BCAP starts using Uni-Gold HIV-1/2 rapid HIV testing which produces a result in 10 minutes with 99.8% accuracy.

2008
  • Legislation ends the statutory HIV travel and immigration ban.

  • The 17th International AIDS Conference is held in Mexico City; the first to be held in Latin America.

  • The CDC releases new HIV incidence estimates, showing that the U.S. epidemic is worse than previously thought.

  • An estimated 4,555 individuals are living with AIDS in the state of Colorado.

  • BCAP offers Hepatitis C education and testing to at-risk populations.

2009
  • The Ryan White Care Act is reauthorized for a four year extension.

  • Results from the large-scale HIV Vaccine Trial in Thailand are published and were not as successful as scientists had hoped.

  • Congress eliminates long-standing statutory ban on the use of federal funding for needle exchange in the United States.

  • Washington, D.C. is announced as the host for the International AIDS Conference in July 2012, marking the first time this conference will be held in the US since 1980.

  • There are 421 reported new cases of HIV in Colorado in 2009 according to the CDC.

2010
  • BCAP serves 233 individuals living with HIV/AIDS and provides 959 HIV tests during the year.

  • The first ever National HIV/AIDS Strategy for the United States is released by the White House..

  • BCAP observes 25 years of service to Boulder  County and surrounding communities.

  • The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) is signed into United States law by President Barack Obama in March 2010.

  • BCAP moves its Longmont office to 515 Kimbark Street, Suite 100 to improve access and confidentiality of services.

  • Colorado’s AIDS Service Organizations vote to merge. BCAP’s Board of Directors decides to retain its separate 501c3 status and continues to serve Boulder, Broomfield, Gilpin and Clear Creek counties.

  • Removal of the US HIV travel ban officially begins.

2011
  • June 5 marks the 30th anniversary since the first AIDS case was reported.

  • More than one million people are living with HIV in the United States.

  • The use of HIV biomedical treatment is approved as a form of prevention by medical providers.

  • Syringe exchange is legalized in Colorado. Boulder County Public Health’s Works Program becomes the first legal syringe exchange in the state.

  • The first PrEP trials begin.

2012
  • BCAP serves 242 clients and administers  597 HIV tests.

  • Through 2012, 10,334 cases of AIDS and 6,998 cases of HIV infection have been diagnosed and reported in Colorado.

  • AIDS-related mortality has decreased by 43 percent from 2008 to 2012 while the prevalence of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) has increased steadily.

  • The United States hosts the International AIDS conference for the first time in Washington D.C.

  • Truvada® made by Gilead Sciences is approved by the FDA as biomedical prevention for healthy people who are at high risk of contracting HIV.

  • By December 2012, 11,543 persons were known to be living with HIV in Colorado.

2013
  • Colorado commits to Medicaid expansion and the opening of a health insurance exchange. 12% of BCAP’s clients are enrolled in Medicaid.

  • BCAP initiates a new Syringe Access Program in collaboration with BCPH’s Works Program in May.

  • The first BCAP community garden is planted to grow produce for BCAP’s food pantries serving over 100 households.

  • House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is presented with a BCAP Local Legends Award for her 26 years of HIV activism while in Congress.

  • The Boulder County AIDS Project closes due to extreme flooding caused by rains in Colorado in September. Recovery to assist clients continues for months to assist those displaced by the flood.

  • Over 50% of BCAP’s clients are living at federal poverty levels.

2014
  • BCAP serves 229 clients and administered 602 HIV tests.

  • 19% of BCAP’s clients have no insurance and rely on the Ryan White AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) for HIV medication.

  • 21% of BCAP’s clients have private insurance.

  • 31% of clients served by BCAP have Medicare.

  • 26% of BCAP’s clients are enrolled in Medicaid.

2015
  • BCAP serves 213 clients and administered 608 HIV tests.

  • BCAP observes milestone of providing 30 years of HIV services to the Boulder region of Colorado.

  • There is no vaccine to prevention HIV infection.

  • 100% of persons living with HIV served by BCAP have either Medicaid or another form of private health insurance for the first time in the epidemic’s history.

  • The National HIV/AIDS Strategy: Updated to 2020 is released by the White House.

  • The FDA approves the first rapid HIV test, Alere, to detect HIV-1/2 antibodies and p24 antigen.

2016
  • There are an estimated 13,690 people living with HIV in Colorado.  

  • STI laws in Colorado are modernized by the CO Legislature.

  • An immunity bill is passed to provide protection for persons who report an overdose of someone they are with. This law is named the Good Samaritan Law.

  • Opiate use is at a historic high nationally.

  • The Works Programs experiences a 20-30% increase in utilization across Boulder County.

2017
  • The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reports 606 cases of HIV in BCAP’s service region.

  • BCAP’s Inclusiveness Committee partners with Boulder County Public Health to offer a free training entitled Understanding Stigma Faced by People Who Inject.

  • Atlas celebrates the program’s 10 year anniversary.

  • BCAP expands Hepatitis C testing and education services through a grant from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Education.

  • The National HIV/AIDS Strategy is removed from the White House website.

  • BCAP begins administering Alere HIV tests which produce a result in 20 minutes at 99.9% accuracy.

  • BCAP starts to distribute free Naloxone and overdose prevention education to Works Program participants.

  • BCAP’s Speaker’s Bureau Program conducts 270 HIV educational presentations reaching 6,589 contacts.

2018
  • BCAP serves 210 clients through June 30 and has administered 306 HIV tests as of May 31.

  • Attention Homes begins construction on a new youth shelter in the former First United Methodist Church parking lot behind BCAP’s Boulder location.

  • BCAP hosts representatives from the Boulder’s Dushanbe Sister City including the Director of a program for women living with HIV in Tajikistan.

  • BCAP’s Inclusiveness Committee pairs with three pro bono facilitators to offer a summer series of workshops on Race and HIV, LGBTQ Inclusion and HIV and Stigma.

  • BCAP honors KBCO as its 2018 Local Legends in observance of KBCO’s 30th anniversary and twenty-six years of philanthropic support of BCAP’s HIV prevention work.

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