Spectrum Medical’s bilingual digital outreach model aims to expand access to twice-yearly PrEP for Black, Latino and Native American communities across Arizona
PHOENIX, Oct.23, 2026 – Spectrum Medical Care Center, a nonprofit healthcare provider serving Arizona’s LGBTQ+ community, has been named a Phase 1 winner of the NIH ARISE-HIV LAUNCH Challenge, a national competition sponsored by the National Institutes of Health Office of AIDS Research and HeroX. Spectrum Medical is one of 35 winners selected from more than 100 submissions nationwide and will receive a $10,000 cash prize.
The challenge sought practical, community-informed strategies to expand access to long-acting HIV prevention and treatment. Judges evaluated submissions on public health significance, innovation and whether the idea could work in real-world settings.
Spectrum Medical’s winning concept, “Our Stories, Our Protection: PrEP for Everyone,” is a community-based digital outreach model designed to increase equitable uptake of Yeztugo, a twice-yearly injectable form of PrEP, and other long-term injectables, among Black, Latino and Native American communities in Arizona. The concept pairs authentic, bilingual community stories with a 24/7 digital health library and proactive navigation. Everyone who responds is connected to HIV testing, PrEP and primary care at Spectrum Medical, with follow-up support to stay in care between doses.
These communities carry a disproportionate share of Arizona’s HIV burden. In 2022, Black residents had the highest new diagnosis rate in the state at more than three times the statewide average, American Indian and Alaska Native residents had the second-highest rate, and Hispanic residents accounted for 41.5% of all new diagnoses, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Demand is growing fast. The number of patients receiving long-acting HIV prevention and treatment at Spectrum Medical each month more than doubled this year, from 52 in January to 110 in September. In all, the clinic has served 440 patients with long-acting medications so far in 2026, including more than 320 on Yeztugo.
“Long-acting PrEP has changed what HIV prevention can look like, but a medication is only effective if people know it exists, trust the people offering it and can get through the door,” said Mark Moeremans, CEO of Spectrum Medical. “‘Our Stories, Our Protection’ is focused on the people who are often left out of HIV prevention conversations and lets them hear from someone who shares their experience. We’re grateful to NIH and HeroX for this recognition and the opportunity to reach even deeper into the communities that need PrEP most.”
As a Phase 1 winner, Spectrum Medical advances to Phase 2, where it will develop a detailed implementation and evaluation plan with technical support and capacity-building resources from the NIH challenge team. Phase 2 winners are eligible for prizes of up to $50,000.
For more information on “Our Stories, Our Protection”, visit www.spectrummedicalcare.org.
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About Spectrum Medical
Spectrum Medical Care Center is a leading provider of primary care, preventative care, HIV care, PrEP, PEP and STI testing services, and has been meeting the unique healthcare needs of the LGBTQ+ community in the Phoenix area since 1997. Spectrum Medical’s growing team of experienced medical professionals and staff proudly serve all patients with state-of-the-art, competent and compassionate care. They are deeply committed to healthcare equality in the community.
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