Setting the standard for HIV care

Setting the Standard for HIV Care

From left: Dr. Matthew Herrmann, Medical Director of Westside Healthcare Center; Dr. Carl Millner, AHF Chief Medical Officer; Michael Weinstein, AHF President; Roshanak Mohaghegh, AHF Senior Director of Pharmacy Operations; and Dr. Mona Toque, AHF Regional Medical Director.

After more than 30 years of service to the community, AHF's Westside Healthcare Center in Los Angeles, California, has relocated to a state-of-the-art facility nearby on Wilshire Boulevard. This move isn’t just about a new address—it marks a transformative shift toward a fully personalized care approach that eliminates traditional waiting rooms.

Innovation is at the heart of the new center: patients are greeted and guided directly into care, bypassing the long waits and impersonal barriers often accompanying traditional clinic visits. The upgraded site also includes a full-service AHF Pharmacy, ensuring continuity of care under one roof.

The clinic offers HIV testing, treatment, and a range of other healthcare services.

“I’m proud to announce the opening of our newly reimagined Westside Healthcare Center, now operating under a patient-centered, open-concept model—with no traditional waiting room,” said Dr. Carl Millner, AHF Chief Medical Officer. “This innovation is especially important for our patients living with HIV, who too often face stigma, delays, and unnecessary barriers to care. By eliminating the waiting room, we’re creating a space that prioritizes immediacy, dignity, and seamless access to services. At AHF, we believe every patient deserves to feel respected and supported from the moment they arrive.”

Michał Pawlega: A Sense of Belonging

NETHERLANDS

Michał Pawlega is AHF Europe's Prevention, Testing, and Linkage Manager. His story is next in our "I Am AHF" series featuring remarkable staff, clients, and partners who are doing what's right to save lives everyday. Interviewed by Diana Shpak, Knowledge Management Focal Point, AHF Europe Bureau.

What experiences or influences led you to pursue a career in HIV/AIDS care?

To begin with, I was born in Poland, a country in Central Europe. In retrospect, I see that I grew up in a very homophobic environment—shaped by social beliefs, legal regulations, and religious influence. When I was 15, I realized I was a gay man. My first thought was: I’m the only gay man on the planet. It made me very sad because I already knew what society thought of LGBTQI+ people. At that time, the social perception only acknowledged gay men and straight people—there were no lesbians, no trans people, and no one outside the dominant hetero- and cis-norms. So I decided it had to be my secret. I couldn’t tell anyone, because I believed people would reject me.

"That spirit of community led me to AHF," said Pawlega. "They saw the value in my journey—in my connection to those often unheard."

How did it feel to be so different?

This feeling of being different was very painful. At 18, I decided to look for other gay men. But this was a completely different time—there was no internet where you could find information or meet people. It was a search for identity, a search for belonging.

I found the only existing organization in the city—called Gay Rainbow Center. For the first time in my life, I felt a sense of belonging and acceptance. Soon after, we were told the center would close due to financial difficulties. Because this place was so important to me, a few of us decided to open a new organization and raise funds to continue the mission of the Rainbow Center.

AHF India Cares Elevates Inclusive Leadership at World Health Summit

Dr. V. Sam Prasad, AHF India Cares Country Program Director, speaks on the benefits of women's leadership in India.

AHF India Cares recently joined global leaders, government officials, and civil society at the World Health Summit Regional Meeting 2025—hosted for the first time in India at Bharat Mandapam convention center, New Delhi. Featured in the session "Women-Led Development for Health Equity – A Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue," AHF's Dr. V. Sam Prasad spotlighted the power of inclusive leadership in transforming health outcomes.

AHF India Cares shares educational materials and distributes over 7,000 condoms to attendees.

The summit welcomed a record 4,500 participants from 54 countries, including over 1,000 top health experts and policymakers. Under the theme “Scaling Access to Ensure Health Equity,” discussions centered on reimagining health systems, boosting primary care in South Asia, and leveraging digital innovation to close the urban-rural health gap.

AHF Estonia Promotes Sexual Health at Europe Day in Narva

The AHF Estonia team distributed more than 6,500 condoms to attendees throughout the event.

On May 9, AHF Estonia joined institutions, including Narva Hospital, the Rescue Board, and the Police and Border Guard Board for Europe Day—an event that drew over 4,000 visitors. AHF offered free, confidential HIV testing, shared educational materials, and engaged the public in open conversations about sexual health.

Europe Day celebrates peace and unity across the continent with concerts, games, and community events.

In Narva—an EU border city where stigma around HIV and sexual health remains high—AHF’s presence provided immediate access to services in a public, inclusive space, empowering many to take control of their health for the first time.

Beyond the day’s impact, AHF’s participation signals a long-term shift, normalizing sexual health as a part of public health overall, building trust in communities, and reinforcing everyone's right to judgment-free healthcare.

CHECK OUT THE LATEST FROM US ON FACEBOOK

Click on the post to see more!

Click to follow us on social media.