AHF Opens New HIV Healthcare Center in Long Beach

In News by AHF

Long Beach gains new health resource as AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) opens specialized healthcare center offering treatment and care for people living with HIV/AIDS (photo above: courtesy of Long Beach Press-Telegram)

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) opened its newest domestic Healthcare Center on January 7 in Long Beach, California. The facility offers advice from HIV experts and opportunities for client-centered, specialized treatment and care for people living with HIV/AIDS.

 

AHF LONG BEACH HEALTHCARE CENTER

3500 E. Pacific Coast Highway

Long Beach, CA  90804

Hours: Tuesdays 8:30 am – 5:30 pm; Thursdays 10 am – 7 pm

Phone: (562) 494 – 3413

Fax: (562) 494 – 3408

 

AHF Healthcare Centers aim to decrease the number of new HIV/AIDS diagnoses by providing free HIV testing so people can be aware of their status; immediate linkage into care – regardless of ability to pay – for those who test positive; and support through ongoing follow-ups to ensure adherence to a health regimen that will ultimately extend life expectancies and reduce the risk of transmission.

According to the most recent HIV/AIDS monitoring report from the City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services, there are 1,524 people living with HIV and 6,225 people living with AIDS in the city as of December 2012. The most impacted age group was people between 30-39 years old, accounting for 42% of HIV/AIDS cases. Since 1981, men in Long Beach have been substantially more impacted by HIV/AIDS diagnoses than women, and there was a higher incidence of infection among the black population, according to the report.

“By pairing our new clinic with the free HIV testing services already in place at the Out of the Closet Thrift Store right next door, we are putting into practice a concept based on two fundamental pillars in the fight to curb the AIDS epidemic: early diagnosis and prompt linkage to treatment services,” said Dr. George Melikian, the clinic’s primary provider who will be practicing there every Tuesday. “By bringing both concepts literally to the same physical address, we are knocking down as many barriers as possible for those who will benefit the most from access to care. This is the start of something great!”

AHF operates more than 20 Healthcare Centers throughout the United States – in Florida, California, Georgia, Ohio, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, Nevada, and Washington, D.C. – and many more in the countries where AHF works throughout Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America. More information about Healthcare Center services and locations can be found at www.hivcare.org.

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