MBCHC first provided HIV/AIDS services in 1986 through funding from the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) in Miami-Dade for an HIV Counseling and Testing Program. In 1990, MBCHC began to receive Ryan White (RW) Part A funding (formerly RW Title I) to provide primary health care services for persons living with HIV/AIDS. MBCHC has expanded HIV/AIDS services to the community with the addition in 1994 of the HIV Early Intervention Program under the RW Part C funds (formerly RW Title III). Over 30% of MBCHC’s Immune Support Program (ISP) department active clients have received services for 10+ years and 15% have received services for 15+ years. On March 1, 2011, MBCHC’s ISP department assumed responsibility for the RW Part A Specialty Provider Network and the RW Certified Referrals for specialty and sub-specialty services.  This Specialty Provider Network currently has over 60 specialty providers. The Mercy Hospital Special Immunology Services (SIS) department closed its doors when Mercy Hospital converted to a for-profit organization. On January 20, 2011, funding for Mercy Hospital was transferred to MBCHC’s ISP department with unanimous approval from the M-DC Board of County Commissioners.

Sixty-six percent of all ISP department clients are Hispanic and 18% are Haitian. ISP department clients at the Stanley C. Myers Health Center, 710 Alton Road, Miami Beach, FL 33139 are primarily Hispanic. Zip code 33139 residents are 45% Hispanic and attracts at-risk Hispanics (among others) for recreation and leisure activities. MBCHC has served this community since 1977. ISP clients at the Beverly Press Center, 1221 71 Street, Miami Beach, FL 33141 are primarily Hispanic. The population of zip code 33141 is 68% Hispanic. MBCHC has served this community since 1999. ISP clients at MBCHC North are more diverse—primarily Hispanic but with a large number of Haitian and African-American clients. Hispanics represent 41% of the population of zip code 33181.^[1] MBCHC has served this community since 2006.All three health centers have HIV specialists providing outpatients medical care to ISP Department clients who are able to receive these services in linguistically and culturally sensitive environments. We currently provide the following services to our HIV+  clients under our Ryan White Program

• • AIDS Pharmaceutical Assistance
    

• • Emergency Financial Assistance
    

• • Health Insurance Premium Cost Sharing Assistance (HIS)
    

• • Medical Case Management Services
    

• • Medical Transportation
    

• • Mental Health Services
    

• • Oral Health Care
    

• • Outpatient Ambulatory Health Services
    

• Substance Abuse Services (Residential)
•  

Miami Beach Community Health Center has been providing care to persons with HIV/AIDS since the onset of the epidemic.  Staff has accumulated the experience and sensitivity to care not only for the infected individual, but for the affected ones, which are basically all the members of our community.  We adhere to current guidelines and requirements for counseling and testing.  However, given that the prevalence of HIV infection in our community is high, we do not shy away from offering HIV testing to practically all of our patients, but we do it in a culturally sensitive way.  HIV testing at our Center is a routine, accessible and easy procedure.

This page and program is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the Grant Number H89HA00005 continuation contract Part A/MAI for an award totaling $5,312,396.00 and Grant Number H76HA00103 continuation contract for Ryan White Part C Program for an award totaling $617,225.00 as of November, 2024.  The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views, nor an endorsement by, HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.