Ryan White Program gets new building

After eight years of planning, the Ryan White Program at Augusta University is finally getting a new home.

On July 20, the clinic officially opened in a 17,150-square-foot building at 1014 Moore Ave. It provides one place where patients with HIV and acquired immune deficiency syndrome can receive all of their care. Patients are able to see their health care provider, a case manager, receive medication from an in-house pharmacy, have their six-month lab draws and see a psychologist. Program manager Karen Denny said she hopes the clinic will soon be able to provide dental care.

“Our program allows us to provide an overarching, ‘one-stop-shop’ approach of care for our patients,” she said.

The clinic was previously housed in a 1,100-square-foot space on the second floor of the Medical Office Building. While the same services were provided, patients needed to go to other parts of the hospital for different aspects of care. For example, they’d need to go to the retail pharmacy for their medications or to the pathology lab for blood work.

The Ryan White program has been a part of Augusta University for more than 25 years. It serves more than 1,200 patients annually in the CSRA and surrounding counties, including some patients that come from elsewhere in Georgia, Florida and South Carolina.

“Our goal is to provide the ultimate care for these patients so they can live healthy…and they do, they live a normal life – as long as they’re on their medications – just like you and I do,” Denny said.

In addition to the clinic, the Ryan White program provides testing and education at mobile sites throughout the community.