HIV/AIDS Program

Our Services

Our services include:

• Patient education about the disease
• Primary care for patients with HIV or AIDS, including extensive diagnostic tests and consultations with community doctors
• Body mass assessment and nutritional counseling
• Counseling to prevent transmission of HIV
• Laboratory and radiology services
• Medication services
• Outpatient surgical services
• Pain management
• Physical therapy
• Sleep management
• Smoking cessation
• Social services
• Support groups

Social Services

Living with HIV or AIDS can create challenges for people in the home and workplace. Our licensed social workers are experts in services that can help. Each patient is offered an initial social service assessment and follow-up as needed.

Other services include counseling, support groups and assistance with enrollment in the AIDS Drug Assistance Program, Social Security and Medi-Cal. Our social workers have contacts with community mental health, housing, disability, training and advocacy groups to connect patients with a full array of services.

What to Expect

Appointment Reminders

You will receive a reminder phone call two to three days before your appointment. Please let the front desk or your doctor know if you don't have access to a phone or if you have other requests. If you can't make your scheduled appointment, please call to reschedule.

Billing

We accept most insurance plans, including Medi-Cal and Medicare. Some plans require a copayment at the time of the visit. For your convenience, we accept cash, checks and credit cards.

Clinic Visits

When you arrive, please register at the front desk so we can update your information and send your chart to nursing for check-in. Please let us know if you have moved, have a new telephone number or have an urgent problem. Your doctor or nurse will call you to begin your visit. Be sure to mention any problems you need addressed. After completing your appointment, our staff at the front desk will help you arrange other appointments or tests.

Laboratory Results

A nurse or doctor will review your lab results. You will be notified immediately if a test indicates an urgent problem. Routine lab results are typically provided during regularly scheduled appointments. If you're concerned about a test result, please tell your doctor or nurse, who can arrange to provide you with the results and any additional information you need. Some results may take up to two weeks. HIV screening results for antibodies are always provided during clinic visits.

Medications

If you have an existing prescription for medication, your pharmacy can provide refills or can call us for refill authorization. You also can call your pharmacy to confirm that your medication is being prepared. Refilling restricted medications and initiating new prescriptions may require a clinic visit. If a written prescription is needed, please notify the clinic a week in advance, if possible, so the prescription can be prepared and your doctor or nurse can arrange to discuss the medication with you. At a minimum, we need two to three days to obtain written prescriptions.

Special Concerns

Please tell your doctor or nurse if you have any concerns about the following:

• Alcohol and smoking
• Benefits
• Childbearing
• Depression
• Diet
• Domestic violence
• Drug use
• Fears about your health
• HIV transmission
• Medication side effects
• Pain
• Pets
• Talking with your partner
• Transportation needs
• Travel
• Weight gain or loss
• Your workplace

Urgent Concerns

From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday, please call the clinic at (415) 353-2119 for urgent issues.

At all other times, call (415) 476-1000 and speak with the HIV/AIDS doctor or nurse on call.

If you need help immediately, call 911 and indicate that you are a patient of the UCSF HIV/AIDS Program.

For urgent problems during business hours, a nurse will review your needs and schedule an urgent visit. If your doctor isn't available, we may recommend that you see another doctor or nurse with expertise in HIV/AIDS or we may refer you to urgent care or the emergency room.

Not all problems are urgent, but certain conditions require prompt care. Please contact the clinic if you experience any of the following problems:

• Blood in your urine
• Chest pain that is more severe or longer lasting than previous chest pains
• More than one day of diarrhea of more than three stools per day
• Fainting or loss of consciousness
• Fever greater than 103° F or 39° C
• Weakness or numbness in part of your body that you have not experienced before
• Severe headache that is more severe than previous headaches
• Trouble breathing that is new or more severe than previous breathing trouble
• Vomiting that prevents the intake of your medication