LONG BEACH, Calif.—APLA Health & Wellness have announced the opening of their Long Beach Health Center, located at 1043 Elm Ave. on the St. Mary Medical Center campus. The new health center currently provides services for free or on a low-cost, sliding-fee scale, including:
- Primary medical care
- Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) counseling and management
- HIV testing and STD screening and treatment
- Health insurance enrollment assistance
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration selected APLA Health & Wellness through a nationally competitive application process to receive a $650,000 grant to open and operate the new health center.
“Providing excellent culturally competent care is a community effort, and we are working with other key partners, including service providers, the Long Beach Health Department, and elected officials to expand access to these critically needed services,” APLA Health & Wellness CEO Craig E. Thompson says.
The new Long Beach Health Center currently includes an exam room and a treatment room, as well as office space for staff. A second phase of construction scheduled to be completed in March adds a laboratory and phlebotomy room, counseling rooms, a full reception area for patients, additional office space, and new rest rooms. A final phase of construction this spring will add a four-chair dental clinic and additional medical exam rooms.
When fully operational, the Long Beach Health Center will encompass 7,000 square feet of space and will have the capacity to serve more than 5,000 patients per year.
