Who Provides Your HIV Care, Community Clinic Or Personal Doctor? | myHIVteam

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Who Provides Your HIV Care, Community Clinic Or Personal Doctor?
A myHIVteam Member asked a question 💭

I am new to this devastating disease. I don't feel my doctor cares enough. It got me wonder where else I can go for treatment. I like my community clinic because everything is in one location and it has very friendly staff.

At my first office visit, he leaned his arms on the desk and listening to what I know about HIV. Then, he explained his version as he tilted his head and rested on the wall. It was 9 am. How can anyone be tired? His negative composure was trying to tell me something. Plus… read more

posted November 24, 2017
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A myHIVteam Member

That is hard to give an answer for. You do not say whether your doctor is a personal physician (MD) or an infectious disease physician. (MD, ID).
The best answer I can give you is that you need to see an Infectious Disease doctor.
You also state that you are new to this disease, thus you must be recently diagnosed. Your 2nd step after finding an infectious disease doctor is to ask the ID doctor about getting a medical case manager. A medical case manager will help you with a lot of things that you may need. It depends on where you live, but medical case managers can help with things like gas cards or bus passes to get to your appointments, give you gift cards for the local grocery store or refer you Ryan White food pantries, find you help with paying your rent or mortgage when you get behind, help you with shut off notices, and other things, but like I said it varies by your local area and case manager.
With a little pushing from me, a lot of people added their current or former ID doctors in the provider directory. When i was wanting to switch doctors, I didn't really know where to look, and the provider directory had nothing. So this I posted a question in the Q&A link about people adding their doctors. I see people have been doing that and it is awesome. Since that posting, I have found a site that offers ID doctors in your state and closest areas. Here is a link to all 164 ID doctors in the Houston area and a little information about them.
https://health.usnews.com/doctors/infectious-di...

posted November 24, 2017
A myHIVteam Member

For the first 5 years I was seeing a nurse practioner or a doctor at a hiv clinic in San Diego. After moving to Palm Springs, I continued with the AIDS project clinic. I continued to see whoever at the clinic, and was getting regular every 2 or 3 month appointments. I was also getting help from a case manager. The first 10 years are critical to get regular help and checkups. Be consistent and on time, its your health. I have since moved to a small town in the mountains east northeast of los Angeles. So I now have a small town doctor, nurse practitioner. Its fine for now, I have managed my health pretty well. If my health gets worse I will voluntarily go see a infections disease, doctor or clinic, in the city. Be proactive with your health no one else will be, besides you. Your health is more important than anything else.

posted November 29, 2017
A myHIVteam Member

The community public health clinic for HIV/AIDS was shut down by our new city manager against the wishes of our mayor in Portland, Maine. It was a complete travesty. Hundreds testified against the closing at a city council meeting but the council went with the budget cut so the manager could make prettier sidewalks and add a restaurant to the public golf course. Over 200 of us were sent scrambling for health care and have not been able to find anything close to how well our city's Positive Health Clinic operated and cared for us all. If you can find a ID clinic be sure to fight for it's survival.

posted November 25, 2017
A myHIVteam Member

I have an Infectious Disease Dr who treats that where as my regular Primary care dr does not treat this, back in my hometown I had a great dr who treated both.

posted November 24, 2017
A myHIVteam Member

Our doctor is in a private practice she is part of Infectious Disease Specialists of Texas on 16659 Southwest freeway Houston,Texas

posted November 24, 2017

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