On Monday, the Comprehensive Care Clinic for HIV at Lancaster General Hospital received a three-year, $1 million grant from the US Department of Health and Human Services. It is the second such grant for the clinic: The first made it possible for the facility to open three years ago with an initial caseload of 75 people.

The original grant still funds the entire program, which has served more than 500 patients since it opened and currently serves 300. The clinic, which provides case management, medications, prenatal care, physician referrals and links to other area agencies, took on 40 new HIV cases in just the last three months.

Director Dr. Jeffrey Kirchner said the grant allows the clinic to hire more staff, making it possible for local patients to participate in clinical trials for medications not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

Clinic officials plan to increase its hours this summer to seven half-days, compared to just two half-days when it opened. The clinic is the only primary care facility specifically for HIV-infected people in Lancaster County.

"This hospital is the epitome of a community service hospital," said HHS Regional Director Robert Zimmerman Jr. "There are a lot of programs out there, but not all programs have had the quality and comprehensiveness this one has established in just three years." He emphasized that the grant aims to facilitate the early detection of HIV, and earlier treatment and management of the virus. Having a sophisticated, comprehensive program available in Lancaster can change the course of a patient's experience, Zimmerman said.

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