HIV Services

The HIV Services Department offers a comprehensive set of programming that encompasses outreach, community building, prevention (including positive prevention), testing, case management, peer support, and treatment.

HIV Services Department at Whittier has a HIV testing program that was designed to be extremely easy to access. During clinic hours anyone, whether or not they are currently a Whittier client, can come for a free confidential rapid 20 minute test delivered by a peer counselor or community health worker. These counselors reflect the demographics of our patient population. The community outreach workers also conduct testing on a mobile medical van, at homeless women’s shelters, drop-in-centers, and other places within high risk areas in Boston. All testing sessions include risk reduction counseling, the availability of free condoms and bleach kits, and any relevant referrals within the health center — particularly to assistance with eligibility and enrollment in health insurance.

All people who test positive to HIV are immediately linked to a medical case manager who will act as their point-person for coordination of their care for the entirety of the time that they remain a patient at Whittier. These case managers work with the clients on positive prevention, adherence, housing, HDAP, insurance compliance, and any other issues that come up that compromise their medical care.

In 2011, Whittier was selected to participate in the National Center for HIV Care in Minority Communities collaborative in order to build capacity to ensure primary care delivery for patients living with HIV is effective, comprehensive and sustainable within the context of the Patient-Centered Medical Home. We recognize that changes in service delivery will necessitate changes in our model of care for patients living with HIV and we want to ensure a seamless transition so that patients are able to get improved care within the new delivery model.

Telephone Number: (617) 858-3013
Fax Number: (617) 858-2669