Contact: Ann Ricksecker
(215) 557-2101
aricksecker@healthfederation.org

CareLink is an HIV/AIDS care network comprised of ten federally qualified community health center sites. The locations of the CareLink community health centers, all of which are minority providers, are:

• Esperanza Health Center
  Parkview Hospital
  Medical Office Building - Lower Level
  1331 East Wyoming Avenue
  Philadelphia, PA 19124 (215) 831-1100

• Quality Community Health Care
  (Finley Place Family Health Center, QCHC Family Health Center, Meade School Family Health Center and Vaux School Family Health Center)
  2501 W. Lehigh Avenue
  Philadelphia, PA 19132 (215) 227-0300
  www.qchc.org

• Spectrum Health Services
  (Haddington Health Center and Broad Street Health Center)
  Progress Haddington Plaza
  5619-23 Vine Street
  Philadelphia, PA 19139 (215) 471-2758

• Delaware Valley Community Health
  (Fairmount Health Center, Maria de los Santos Health Center and Norristown Regional Health Center)
  1420 Fairmount Avenue
  Philadelphia, PA 19130
  (215) 235-9600
  www.dvch.org

These neighborhood centers provide medical care to predominantely African-American and Hispanic/Latino adults, children and families who experience disproportionately high rates of poverty, homelessness, violence, drug use, STIs, and AIDS (AACO Surveillance Update, 2002).

The CareLink network model was implemented in 1994 to create an infrastructure to provide comprehensive, integrated HIV/AIDS services to low-income African-American and Hispanic/Latino women and men who would otherwise face overwhelming barriers to obtaining accessible, culturally sensitive and gender specific care. Services provided to or arranged for patients by primary medical care staff, care coordinators, adherence counselors/nurse educators and care outreach workers include:

• direct provision of primary medical care;
• comprehensive care planning;
• patient education about medications and self-care techniques;
• intensive, patient-focused adherence counseling;
• arrangement for case management services at their own sites or from outside agencies;
• laboratory testing,
• immunizations and medications for uninsured and underinsured patients;
• nutritional supplements and other patient-care resources;
• arrangements for transportation to medical appointments,
• arrangements for home care or hospice care;
• negotiation with insurance companies to secure appropriate benefits;
• referral for provision of mental health care;
• patient support groups; and
• outreach to patients who consistently miss appointments.

More about HIV Services:

HIV Prevention Services: Women's Anonymous Test Site
Pennsylvania/MidAtlantic AIDS Education and Training Center