BALTIMORE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Working together to address the current HIV epidemic in Baltimore, AIDS
Healthcare Foundation (AHF) will be joined by Baltimore Mayor
Bernard “Jack” Young, State Senator Mary Washington, City Council
President Brandon Scott and other members of the Baltimore City Council
and Maryland General Assembly to host a grand opening and ribbon-cutting
ceremony for a new cutting-edge, non-profit healthcare center, located
at 11 E. Lexington St., Suite 100 on Thursday, June 13th
at 3:00 p.m. with speakers and the formal ribbon-cutting at 4:00 p.m.
The location will provide free, rapid HIV testing, free STD testing and
treatment, and state-of-the-art medical care for those living with HIV.
Medical services will be provided by AHF Maryland Medical Director,
Dr. Leleka Doonquah, who has over two decades of experience in
providing HIV-specific medical care and has been actively involved in
the Maryland community through her leadership at the AHF Temple Hills
location.
|
WHAT: |
NEW, FREE BALTIMORE HIV/AIDS CLINIC GRAND |
|
|
Baltimore Mayor Young to join local leaders and AHF President |
||
|
WHEN: |
Thursday, June 13th – 3:00 p.m., with |
|
| Reception and Street Party to immediately follow | ||
|
WHERE: |
11 E. Lexington Street, Suite 100, Baltimore, MD 21202 |
|
|
WHO: |
Hon. Bernard “Jack” Young, Mayor – City of Baltimore |
|
|
Hon. Brandon Scott, Council President – City of Baltimore |
||
|
Hon. Eric Costello, Councilman – Baltimore City Council, |
||
|
Hon. Zeke Cohen, Councilman – Baltimore City Council, |
||
|
Hon. Robert Stokes, Sr., Councilman – Baltimore City |
||
|
Hon. John Bullock, Councilman – Baltimore City Council, |
||
|
Hon. Mary Washington, Maryland State Senator, MD-043 |
||
|
Hon. Nick Mosby, Delegate – Maryland House of Delegates, |
||
|
Hon. Robbyn Lewis, Delegate – Maryland House of Delegates, |
||
|
Michael Weinstein, President – AHF |
||
|
Donna Tempesta, AHF Northern Bureau Chief |
||
|
Dr. Leleka Doonquah, Medical Director, Baltimore AHF |
||
|
Michel McVickers, AHF Regional Director – Maryland/D.C. |
||
|
Peter DeMartino, Acting Director, Infectious Disease |
||
|
Mimi Demissew, Executive Director of The Pride Center of |
||
“Through Dr. Doonquah’s over two decades of expertise in providing
HIV-specific care to patients and AHF’s commitment to the community by
providing cutting-edge medical care regardless of one’s ability to pay,
we are thrilled to expand our services into Baltimore and to work with
local community leaders, like Mayor Young, in addressing the HIV
epidemic disproportionately impacting this community,” said Mike
McVicker-Weaver, AHF Regional Director.
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.
“I am pleased to be expanding our HIV care into the Baltimore area, to
further address the HIV epidemic impacting communities across Maryland,”
stated AHF Medical Director Dr. Leleka Doonquah. “As a non-profit
agency specializing in HIV, through our innovative medical care and
pharmacy services we are committed to putting the needs of the clients
we serve as a priority.”
The new AHF Healthcare Center hours of operation are:
Tuesday: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Thursday and Friday: 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Free testing (and treatment, when needed) for syphilis, Chlamydia and
gonorrhea provided on Tuesday and Thursday: 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. during AHF
Wellness Center hours.
In the near future AHF will also open a full-service pharmacy, that will
be housed at the new healthcare center. The AHF
Pharmacy will be a full-service facility staffed with pharmacists
who specialize in HIV/AIDS medications (as well as general pharmacy
services) that provide clients with access to the additional
specialists, medications and services they need to be as healthy as
possible.
According to recent statistics from the Maryland Department of Public
Health:
-
Baltimore City and Prince George’s County have the highest rates of
new HIV diagnoses in the state; -
Maryland was rated 5th in the nation in regards to new HIV
diagnosis; -
Close to 12% of people living with HIV in Maryland remain undiagnosed
and are unaware of their status.
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS
organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over
1.1 million individuals in 44 countries worldwide in the US, Africa,
Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To
learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org,
find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth
and follow us @aidshealthcare.
Contacts
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Baltimore:
Imara Canady, National
Director, Communications and Community Engagement, AHF Southern Bureau
+1.404.870.7789
work, +1.954.952.0258 mobile [email protected]
National:
Ged Kenslea, Senior Director,
Communications, AHF +1.323.791.5526 cell [email protected]
Marin
Austin, Communications Director, AHF +1.323.333.7754 cell [email protected]
