Bailey-Boushay, the prominent Madison Valley, Washington facility renowned as the country’s first skilled nursing home designed and built for AIDS patients is facing a funding crisis that may force the closure of its outpatient program. The nursing home is also expecting budget cuts from the state this year, and the facility recently learned it would no longer be a recipient of United Way funding. The grim economy could mean the disappearance of the outpatient program, leaving the most challenged AIDS patients with few options for help. Separate from Bailey-Boushay’s nursing home, the outpatient program serves 200 HIV and AIDS patients with mental illness, addictions, a history of homelessness and other challenges. “They have histories of being on the periphery of society, in one way or another,” said Brian Knowles, the executive director of Bailey-Boushay, which is managed by the Virginia Mason Medical Center.
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