Doctor waging own AIDS crusade

In this age of breakthrough AIDS therapy, Dr. Jerry Cade can't believe that people who have the virus are still going undiagnosed. So he decided to do something about it.

Working through University Medical Center's Wellness Center, he helped secure $932,936 of federal funding from the Ryan White Care Act. The program provides funds to develop programs and pay for medical and social support of people living with HIV disease.

A portion of this money -- $95,431 -- will be used to establish an HIV outpatient program inside the main office of the Community Health Centers of Southern Nevada, located at 916 W. Owens Ave.

Cade, a nationally recognized AIDS specialist, plans to see patients at the center twice a week, and an HIV/AIDS nurse will be on site five days a week.

"This will provide a comfort level for the patient," Cade said. "You want to go to your neighborhood grocery store, not some large supermarket across town."

Which is what's been happening to HIV/AIDS patients throughout Clark County. To receive treatment and counseling, they've been trekking across town to the Wellness Center at 2300 S. Rancho Drive.

Aid For AIDS of Nevada (AFAN), which has an office inside the Owens Avenue health center, has 340 HIV/AIDS patients enrolled and 120 active clients who drop by on a regular basis. While the support group has been able to help them tap into community social services, for medical care they've had to go to the wellness center. Now things should be easier for everyone.

"It's all about accessibility and removing barriers, and letting people take advantage of Dr. Cade's skills," Jeff Smith, executive director of AFAN, said. "I think the timing is good for this. The center will make a positive impression."

Stephen Shubert, director of managed care at Community Health Centers, said the center serviced 36,000 people in 1998, or roughly 200 people a day. These were primarily low-income individuals without health insurance. They were provided primary care, pediatrics and OB/GYN care.

Cade is confident that having an outpatient program at the community center will be more appealing to ethnic groups fearful of traveling outside their community for care. He said he is especially concerned about black citizens, who represent 10.4 percent of the Clark County population but account for 22 percent of the AIDS cases and 25 percent of those with HIV disease.

The Clark County Health District reported that through the end of December there were 3,030 reported cases of AIDS, and of these 1,450 people had died. During that same period, there were 2,046 reported cases of HIV infections resulting in 41 deaths.

The County Commission, which acts as the UMC Board of Trustees, will vote Tuesday on whether to approve the allocation of Ryan White funds for the outpatient program at Community Health Centers.

The board will also decide how the remainder of the grant money should be spent in improving HIV/AIDS services.

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