Georgia: AIDS Healthcare Foundation to Open Atlanta Clinic

AIDS Healthcare Foundation and basketball great and HIV/AIDS activist Earvin "Magic" Johnson later this month will open a "one-stop shop" for Atlantans living with HIV, said Dawn Averill, associate development director for AHF. The clinic at 1700 Hillendale Dr. in Lithonia will feature a physician who specializes in treatment of the disease, a pharmacy, and a mobile testing unit, among other services.

"At the clinic, we're going to offer HIV primary care, laboratory care, hopefully STD screenings and treatments and an onsite pharmacy that will offer free delivery to anyone in the area," said Averill. The facility is slated to have a soft opening on May 16.

The Lithonia location was selected due to research showing a great need for services in the area, said Averill. "The percentage of people that are out of care is high," she said.

"You can never have enough care, enough options," Averill said. While Atlanta already has numerous agencies working against AIDS, she said the new AHF facility will expand, not dilute, services for local patients.

On Dec. 1, 2011 -- World AIDS Day -- the Magic Johnson Foundation and AHF announced plans to open new clinics in Atlanta; Brooklyn, N.Y.; and Fort Worth, Texas. AHF already provides HIV/AIDS care to more than 130,000 patients annually in 22 countries.

For more information, telephone 888-AIDS-CARE, or visit www.hivclinics.org.

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