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Monday, August 29, 2005

UMC Celebrates 20 Years of Caring for HIV/AIDS Patients

On August 29, University Medical Center (UMC) will recognize 20-years of service to the HIV/AIDS community. Although UMC had treated a few HIV-infected individuals prior to 1985, it was with the admission of Patient Doe on August 29, 1985 that University Medical Center began the process of creating a committed, formal program for providing HIV/AIDS care.

Now known as The Wellness Center, UMC’s dedicated HIV inpatient unit was one of the first in the country—and was highlighted in Modern Healthcare along with other dedicated AIDS units in San Francisco, New York and other major metropolitan areas. At the time, the unit had only 12 beds.

In 1994, co-directors Dr. Jerry Cade and Dr. Jim Christensen founded the Nevada AIDS Research and Education Society (NARES). NARES has helped ensure that HIV-infected individuals in Southern Nevada have access to the latest medical treatments available to people living with HIV/AIDS. In addition to FDA-approved Phase I, II, III and IV clinical drug trials, NARES supports psychosocial research and HIV/AIDS-related projects.

“Our goal in Las Vegas is to ensure that no person infected with HIV/AIDS goes without the medical care that he or she needs as well as the love and compassion that he or she deserves,” said Dr. Cade.

UMC’s inpatient unit that is dedicated to the treatment of HIV/AIDS has grown from a 12-bed unit in 1987 to the 36-bed unit it is today.

Dr. Cade continues to credit a number of people for the success of the HIV/AIDS program at UMC, particularly the Clark County Board of Commissioners, who sit as the hospital’s Board of Trustees, the dedicated health care providers, health workers, and support personnel, and the hospital’s administration.

Visit www.umcsn.com for more information on the UMC Wellness Center or NARES.

Contact Information:
Cheryl Persinger
(702) 383-2090
Cheryl.Persinger@umcsn.com
University Medical Center
1800 West Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89102