Pride is a time to show support for equality by standing in solidarity with the LGBTQA community and its allies. Every July, San Diego celebrates this community with a parade and festival that attracts hundreds of thousands of supporters from around the county and the greater Southern California region. We are proud that many Family Health Centers of San Diego (FHCSD) employees and patients will enjoy this year’s festivities. In fact, a team member of FHCSD’s HIV Services department, Tracie Jada O’Brien, will be presented with the Spirit of Stonewall Award, at the San Diego Pride rally for her years of providing services to and advocacy for the transgender community. She will also ride in a convertible leading the trans* community as a Grand Marshal of this year’s parade.
However, Family Health Centers of San Diego is committed to equality beyond participation in this annual event. We have proudly served the LGBTQA community for nearly 30 years and continue to unveil new programs, services and locations to better serve the community’s needs.
Just in time for Pride, FHCSD has opened its newest clinic in the heart of a neighborhood that is known for its vibrant LGBTQA community. Hillcrest Family Health Center is located across the street from Scripps Mercy Hospital at 4094 Fourth Avenue. This beautifully renovated clinic is a convenient location for people who live in the surrounding neighborhood to receive affordable and high-quality health care, such as wellness exams, sick visits, immunizations, monitored hormone therapy for transgender patients and more.
Hillcrest Family Health Center also proudly offers comprehensive specialized HIV/STD treatment and screening services. As with all of our clinics, this location will offer a variety of tests to screen for STDs to ensure every individual is properly diagnosed and treated. Patients can inquire about reduction-of-risk options, including Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), which, when used as prescribed, reduces the risk of HIV infection. This proactive approach to health care has helped patients receive the treatment they need and also protected the community as a whole by helping to prevent the spread of diseases.
FHCSD is excited to announce that, starting July 14, Hillcrest Family Health Center will feature a Tuesday and Thursday Night Clinic (TNC2). TNC2 provides low-cost, confidential STD testing and free, rapid and early HIV testing in a safe and confidential environment on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Programs like TNC2 help FHCSD remain the largest provider of comprehensive HIV prevention, outreach, education, testing and support services in the county.
However, no patient is simply a number or a demographic at FHCSD clinics. Rather, our medical providers, case managers and administrative staff practice cultural sensitivity and are mindful that each patient comes into our clinics with unique needs and experiences. Often, a visit begins with a conversation in which the medical provider listens to the patient’s health concerns and asks questions about the patient’s background, habits, diet and long-term health goals. Active listening allows our staff to determine what course of treatment will best fit a patient within the context of their life. Moreover, providers come from diverse backgrounds and speak a variety of languages, including Spanish, Vietnamese and French.
Our providers are committed to providing affordable health care to everyone, regardless of race, religion, income, sexual orientation or gender identity. Our health centers, which span across San Diego County, are a space for people from traditionally marginalized groups, who may have felt uncomfortable receiving care in the past, to access high-quality health care in a comfortable and confidential setting. For example, FHCSD is proud that many in the LGBTQA community have called North Park Family Health Center their primary medical center “home” for many years. This location continues to offer comprehensive health care for adults, as well as specialized women’s care, including breast cancer and cervical cancer screenings, prenatal care for expecting mothers, gynecological services and STD/HIV screening and treatment. Whatever the health concern, patients can trust that FHCSD will offer appropriate treatment, resources and referrals. And no one is ever turned away due to an inability to pay!
This July, take pride in your health by visiting a conveniently located FHCSD clinic. Three new FHCSD clinics have already opened this year and by Pride 2016, FHCSD is on schedule to open even more locations across San Diego County. FHCSD will proudly care for you, so you can continue to take care of what matters in your life. To schedule an appointment, please call 619-515-2300. For more information, please visit fhcsd.org.
Great news!