ARC Ohio opening medical center, pharmacy in Columbus

Dayton-based AIDS Resource Center Ohio will open a medical center and pharmacy serving people with HIV and AIDS in Columbus next week.

The 7,100-square foot facility in a neighborhood north of downtown Columbus will focus on people not currently receiving any HIV/AIDS treatment or those not getting the best treatment for managing the disease, said Bill Hardy, president and CEO of ARC Ohio. It is the first center of its kind in the state, he said, and accessible to Columbuss gay community and Ohio State Universitys Wexner Medical Center.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about a fifth of the 1.2 million people living with HIV/AIDS in the U.S. dont know theyre infected. A third are getting the best treatments now available antiretroviral medications and only about a fourth have their viral infection under control. In Ohio, an estimated 23,700 to 26,300 people are believed to have HIV or AIDS.

The ARC Ohio Medical Center and Pharmacy will open Thursday at 1033 N. High St. Services will include a pharmacy, medical care, mental health counseling, housing assistance and medical case management services, along with free HIV testing and education on HIV prevention.

The unique feature is that its a holistic, completely integrated approach, so somebody whos HIV-positive can walk in the door and get all the services they need, Hardy said.

ARC Ohio has invested about a $1 million in the building, which is leased, for renovations, furnishings, equipment and the initial pharmacy inventory. Their Campaign for Hope fund-raiser is covering the cost.

Hardy said the organization chose Columbus because it ranked 21st nationally for new HIV infections.

Operating expenses for the clinics first year are estimated at just over $900,000, Hardy said. Funding will include federal revenue, plus reimbursement for services. Budget for the pharmacys first year is $2.7 million, and medications will be paid for by reimbursements from private insurers, Medicare, Medicaid and others. Any profits from the pharmacy will be used to offset the costs of the medical center and other programs around Ohio, he said.

More than 300 clients have registered for services through the center. The pharmacy will also offer statewide mail-order services.

Hardy hopes to add dental services to the center in the next year or so.

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ARC Ohio opening medical center, pharmacy in Columbus