Aids Resource Center of Wisconsin, Inc.

Programs: The arcw medical center and the arcw pharmacy serve the largest number of indigent hiv patients, hiv patients of color, women with hiv, and gay men with hiv in the state of wisconsin. Everyone with hiv is able to access these services, regardless of their ability to pay. In 2013, arcw provided $3,101,703 of uncompensated care. 98% of patients rate the care they receive as good or very good. The arcw medical center is wisconsin's largest and most comprehensive provider of health care to hiv patients. Recognized by the national committee on quality assurance as a level 3 patient-centered medical home, the arcw medical center offers a unique set of integrated medical, dental, mental health and pharmacy services. In 2013, arcw provided more than 1,600 patients with 18,420 health care visits with a goal of helping all patients achieve superior health outcomes. The arcw medical center provides patients with the folowing: medical care that includes medical management of hiv disease, primary care for general health conditions, diagnosis and treatment of other chronic and co-morbid conditions, medication adherence counseling including drug interaction and side effect counseling, hiv prevention education and counseling, and referrals and close monitoring for needed specialty care; dental care services that include preventative and restorative care, oral health education, cleanings, fillings and dental prosthetics, partial and full dentures and oral surgery; behavioral health care services that include mental health screenings and treatment, neuropsychological testing, drug treatment and individual and group counseling and wellness programs; medical case management that assures successful health outcome by enrolling patients into care, identifying and securing health care payer sources when available, providing medication and appointment adherence counseling, ensuring patient referrals to specialty care are completed, conducting hiv prevention counseling and assisting patients in accessing other needed services; arcw pharmacy dispenses medications and medication adherence counseling is available to more than 1,800 hiv patients, regardless of ability to pay through the integrated arcw pharmacy and its medication assistance program. Health care providers are also able to utilize the expertise of arcw pharmacists in providing care to their patients.

arcw provides social services including social work case management, legal services, housing programs, rent and utility assistance and access to food pantries that are integrated with the health care services provided to hiv patients. In 2013 more than 1,700 clients accessed arcw social services through more than 28,800 contacts with social services staff. Arcw offers integrated social services to help hiv patients overcome serious social determinants of health that are often the difference between successful disease management and a long, healthy life or rapid disease progression. In 2013, arcw handled 830 legal cases, provided more than 413,000 meals to hiv patients and ensured individuals with hiv received more than 57,000 safe housing overnight stays. By helping patients overcome barriers to health care related to poverty, discrimination, homelessness and hunger, arcw social services allow patients to focus on successfully adhering to complex treatment regimens that afford them the best opportunity for health.

arcw provides aggressive, targeted education, prevention and testing services to individuals at highest-risk for contracting hiv. In 2013, arcw provided more than 163,000 hiv prevention contacts across the state of wisconsin utilizing hiv and std prevention and risk reduction counseling for gay men and men who have sex with men through personal interventions, the internet and social media; hiv and hepatitis c counseling and testing services for injection drug users and their partners; clean needle exchange and risk reduction counseling for injection drug users; opiate overdose prevention education; prevention and testing services for women and youth at-risk for hiv and hiv awareness, education and referral services through the wisconsin hiv/std/hepatitis c information and referral center.

arcw's public policy program conducted advocacy at the local, state, and federal levels of government and its volunteer services department recruited, trained, and placed 500 volunteers in the support of all areas of the agency operations.