Washington: HIV Clinic Opens in Everett

Snohomish County HIV patients can now access health care closer to home, thanks to the opening of a satellite branch of Harborview Medical Center in south Everett. Previously, patients had to travel to Harborview's main clinic in downtown Seattle for treatment.

The new clinic is located in the Community Health Center of Snohomish County's medical building at 1019 112th St. SW., and is open on Wednesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. While the clinic is open to any of the approximately 600 county residents living with HIV/AIDS, it specifically targets those currently without regular health care.

HIV patients must be closely monitored to ensure they do not develop resistance to their treatment regimens, said Dr. Robert Harrington, medical director of Harborview's HIV/AIDS clinic. "It's a lifelong infection, so you have to consider the long-term effects of the medication you're using," he explained.

In September 2007, Harborview opened a similar clinic in Bremerton to serve Kitsap County HIV/AIDS patients. Over the past year, it has scheduled around 450 appointments, said Harrington.

For more information about the Everett clinic, telephone 866-463-1669.

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