The role of community-based organizations in responding to the AIDS epidemic: examples from the HRSA service demonstrations

This paper considers the role of community-based organizations in providing out-of-hospital services to persons with AIDS, using information collected as part of a case-study evaluation of AIDS service demonstration grants in four cities. Community-based organizations which existed prior to the AIDS epidemic have been reluctant to expand services to persons with AIDS. The widest array of services is provided by new broad-based organizations. Also, exclusive reliance on community-based organizations for service delivery leads to inequities in the delivery system, due to difficulties in developing such organizations in low-income communities.