Expanded HIV Clinic to Host Open House

In celebration of its expanded facilities, staff and supporters of the Northeast Valley Health Corp.’s HIV Early Intervention Program clinic will host an open house today.

Assemblyman Tony Cardenas (D-Sylmar) and City Councilman Richard Alarcon will speak at the reception, planned to introduce the clinic’s new offices to the public.

The clinic, which opened in April at 8215 Van Nuys Blvd. in Panorama City, serves about 350 Valley residents with HIV.

But Mark Henrickson, HIV division director, estimates that there are about 5,000 people living with the virus in the Valley, and the clinic is trying to encourage more to seek treatment.

With new drugs available, the time is right to get medical attention, he said.

“This is a very exciting time in terms of treatments we can offer,” he said. “And it’s a good time for us as caregivers. We’re not just taking care of people until they die, we’re treating them and they’re going back to work, back to school.”

The clinic offers medical and dental care, as well as social services, acupuncture and massage. The expanded facilities will enable the clinicians to take on more patients who need help.

The HIV division began about seven years ago in a room at one of the corporation’s health clinics. It later moved to several rooms in a 3,500-square-foot facility and now will offer services in the new, 5,700-square-foot suite.

The open house will be held from 3 to 6 p.m., with tours of the facility all afternoon, and with a special presentation at 4 p.m.

For more information, call (818) 988-6335.