ANNUAL REPORT 2015 a Message from Mazzoni Center President Jimmy Ruiz, MD
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ANNUAL REPORT 2015 A message from Mazzoni Center President Jimmy RUiz, MD: As I conclude my first year as President of Mazzoni’s Board of Directors, I am forefront of key developments, and continues to meet the evolving needs of incredibly grateful for the collaboration and support I’ve received from my our constituents. fellow board members and from everyone on the staff of the organization. From the expansion of HIV testing to seven days a week at our Washington In May we celebrated our 35th anniversary at the annual Elixir gala and West Project, the five-year anniversary of our adolescent drop-in program fundraising event. It was an opportunity to meet with longtime supporters at Mazzoni Center Family & Community Medicine, to the record-setting who helped build the foundation of the organization, as well as younger attendance at this year’s Philadelphia Trans Health Conference, Mazzoni people who testified to its continuing impact today. continues to lead the way when it comes to delivering key services and reaching the most vulnerable populations within our communities. Looking back on the critical role Mazzoni has played in Philadelphia’s LGBT community and in the public health landscape of the city over the years On behalf of the entire Board of Directors of Mazzoni Center, I would like to was a powerful experience for me and my colleagues on the board. I think thank everyone who helps make our work possible through your support. I speak for all of us when I say it reaffirmed our strong commitment to the We encourage you to stay engaged as we move toward the exciting next mission, and to ensuring that we have the resources and the vision to carry chapter of our history. it into the future. The nation’s healthcare system has undergone dramatic changes in recent years, as has the legal and civil rights landscape for LGBT Americans. I am proud to see the many ways in which Mazzoni has manage to anticipate and Jimmy Ruiz, MD prepare for these changes, ensuring that the organization remains at the President, Board of Directors (left to right) Mazzoni CEO Nurit Shein with PA Governor Our multidisciplinary trans care team, which includes medical providers, attorneys, case managers, Tom Wolf and Philadelphia Director of LGBT Affairs Helen therapists, outreach workers and professional development staff. “Nellie” Fitzpatrick at our Elixir celebration in May. A message from Mazzoni Center CEO Nurit Shein: 2015 has been a year of significant milestones. Mazzoni Center celebrated Today, Mazzoni Center employs 130 people. From PrEP to pediatric trans 35 years of serving Philadelphia’s LGBT community, and I marked my 20th care, we are pioneering in areas I could not have imagined back in 1995. year at its helm. Our successes have led to remarkable growth, and have pushed up against When I arrived in 1995, both the public health landscape and public the limits of our physical sites. Earlier this year we announced plans to perceptions of the LGBT community were considerably different than move to a new facility at Broad and Bainbridge streets in spring of 2017. they are today. It was the height of the AIDS epidemic and while we I am truly excited about this move, which will bring all our programs were focused on meeting the emergency needs of our community, we together under one roof, dramatically increase our capacity for primary faced external stigma and discrimination. At the same time, as the new care and behavioral-health services and make a strong statement about the Executive Director of Philadelphia Community Health Alternatives (as we importance of LGBT health in the city of Philadelphia. were known then) I was struggling with significant inherited debt, and an uncertain future. We could not have reached these milestones without the generosity of individuals and organizations that understand the importance of what Our strengths lay in the quality of our services and our dedicated staff we do, and have supported us over the years. We still have much work to — which at the time consisted of just 9 people. Fortunately for me, the accomplish - and we are grateful for your continued support as we work to organization also had a legacy of innovation and excellence, a history of build a healthier future for all. community support and tremendous volunteer participation. What a difference a “few” years make! Over the years we have expanded our vision, incorporating new programs and services that address the holistic health and wellness needs of the broader community, taking into account the particular needs of distinct populations ranging from LGBT Nurit L. Shein, youth to trans women to seniors with HIV. CEO REMEMBERING In October 2014 our city and community suffered always available to lend her voice where she could a tremendous loss. Gloria Casarez had served as make a difference. The advances she led for LGBT Philadelphia’s Director of LGBT Affairs since 2008, Philadelphians during her tenure in the City’s Office a role in which she worked tirelessly to bridge gaps of LGBT Affairs have made our city a standard- between the LGBT community and city leaders, and bearer for equality and human rights, and will represented Philadelphia and its LGBT efforts on surely stand among her greatest achievements. She local and national levels. Her untimely passing, after has shown us the spirit of activism that never quits, a long battle with cancer, left a void in our hearts. of vision that has no bounds, and of inclusion that Gloria Casarez has no walls. Gloria: we love you, we miss you, and (1971-2014) As a political advocate, a community activist, and a we promise to try and carry on the torch. human being Gloria was thoughtful, generous, and We believe that knowledgeable, culturally competent health care should be accessible to everyone. Our walk-in HIV/STD testing site, the Washington West Project, expanded its operating hours at 1201 Locust Street and now offers free, rapid HIV testing and Mazzoni Center has experienced counseling seven days a week. significant growth in patient visits and patient population from FY2012-2015. 25000 20000 Our staff at Mazzoni Center Family & Community Medicine provides a friendly and welcoming atmosphere for patients every day. 15000 Transgender care and services continue to see dramatic growth. We provided 487 biopsychosocial 10000 12,565 14,689 17,939 22,244 assessments this year, up 26% from 2014. We FY2012 FY2013 FY2014 FY2015 worked with 1,089 Trans Adult Advocacy Total Patient Visits Seen FY2012-2015 clients - an increase of 80% in one year. We now have over 2,600 trans identified individuals in our care. In FY2015 our counseling, Over the past 6 years Mazzoni testing and referral staff provided Center has seen a 72% increase over 8,560 HIV tests to in HIV testing. individuals in Philadelphia. Engaging and educating patients on the extraordinary potential of PrEP It’s been three years since the Winn and our other clinicians to educate FDA approved PrEP (Pre-Exposure patients and ensure that those who Prophylaxis) for use by HIV-negative choose to take PrEP understand how individuals to prevent them from being it works, the risks and benefits of PrEP, infected with HIV. Truvada is the brand best practices for safer sex, as well as name of the pill that acts as “PrEP” by how to adhere to the regimen, in order to effectively preventing HIV infection in achieve the best health outcomes. an HIV-negative individual, when taken every day. PrEP is a way for people “We know that many men who have who don’t have HIV to take an active sex with men are reluctant to talk with role in preventing HIV infection . their provider about HIV risk,” Izzo says. “Unfortunately some providers Medical Director Robert J. Winn, MD (left) The number of patients This year researchers at Kaiser create a lot of shame surrounding the Permanente Medical Center in San patient’s sexuality or sexual practices. and Medical Case Manager John Izzo we see who have Francisco released the first ‘real world’ And there are some providers who chosen to start PrEP study on PrEP. They followed more wouldn’t understand the concept of The early concerns about PrEP – that it grew 260% this year, than 600 participants who take it daily prescribing antiretroviral medication would promote “reckless” promiscuity, to prevent the HIV virus. Ninety-nine to someone who is not infected with decreased condom use, and increases in from about 75 to 270. percent of the people they studied were HIV. Unfortunately this kind of stigma other sexually transmitted infections – men who have sex with men. After two or misconception can have a dramatic have proved unfounded. (This doesn’t account for and a half years, not a single person in impact on who learns about PrEP and people who may have the study had contracted HIV. who gets access to it.” At our practice, Winn explains, patients already been taking on PrEP are closely monitored, have “That’s zero HIV transmissions,” “I’ve had several patients tell me that frank discussions with their provider PrEP when they came to Mazzoni Medical Director Robert J. they had asked a non-Mazzoni provider about risk behaviors, and receive more our practice). Winn, MD says. “Put simply, that is an about PrEP, only to be told no,” Izzo says. routine screenings than they often had amazing result. It certainly doesn’t mean before PrEP. “And more importantly,” that PrEP is foolproof protection against Most private insurances and he said, “they are connected to a system being infected with HIV, but it seems to Pennsylvania Medicaid cover PrEP, but for treatment.