Our new doctors and staff have long been committed to the optimal health of their patients and share our vision of making healthcare accessible to a broader population. We want to ensure the well-being of everyone in the community regardless of how individual situations might change due to losing insurance or being between jobs. Dr. Jay Gladstein, the physician who served on the board of APLA Health and founded Global Healthcare, has joined us as Medical Director of our new “APLA Health – Olympic” site.

“Becoming part of APLA Health is giving us a greater ability to provide care to our patients as circumstances in their lives change, and to reach a greater segment of society,” said Dr. Gladstein. “Our patients now have access to additional services of a federally qualified health center, such as counselors or benefits coordinators, and better-priced medications and vaccines.”

We welcome the new members of our APLA Health team, and we have also have leased a second, larger suite in the Olympia Medical Plaza where we are currently building our third state-of-the-art medical clinic. We expect construction to begin soon with a target grand opening and ribbon-cutting in August. Our current plan is to keep both suites at 5901 West Olympic for a total of 8 exam rooms and 5 counseling rooms to provide LGBT and HIV medical care, behavioral healthcare, and comprehensive support services.

Once the construction is finished and we are fully licensed, we anticipate doubling the number of patients at APLA Health seeking medical and mental health services. We’re excited be able to have the opportunity to expand our impact in those historically underserved communities in Los Angeles County.

While his generation grew up with greater understanding of HIV and AIDS, along with the introduction of protease inhibitors that allowed people to live longer with HIV, he knows that the need is still there. That’s why he has been volunteering for APLA Health. He’s not in a position to make a major gift at this point in his life, but he has time to spare and knows that if he can go to the gym or hang out with friends, he can also give back to his community.

“I might not be able to write a $100 check, but I can donate my time and my resources to raise money from my friends and family. There are so many ways to help,” Seth said. And help he has. In addition to volunteering for events, Seth worked to raise more than $1,300 for APLA Health’s Jolly St. Knickers Run in December. Not only does his crowd-based fundraising support critical services for our community, but it ensures that people still understand that HIV/AIDS is still very real and that the fight to end the epidemic is not over.

“Young people aren’t that hard to mobilize, and we’re also extremely passionate about our causes. Whether it’s March for Our Lives, the Me Too movement, or something else, I see my generation taking action.” Seth said. “Young people are enthusiastic to help because they have the most to lose, because it is our future.”

One reason that Seth decided to give his time and resources to APLA Health is that he heard about the opportunity from a staff member. According to Seth, there are more people willing to chip in and serve, but they may be too timid or overwhelmed to just get started. However, creating a personal connection to the mission and addressing a specific need in the community led him to become a volunteer and advocate, even it it was initially uncomfortable.

“People who lived through the 1980s have a story to tell that can help create that connection of the continued need to get involved,” he said. “It’s absolutely important for people to share the history of this epidemic so young people know. It’s a part of our history. Not just the gay community’s history, but America’s history,” Seth said.

Seth thinks that if more people were willing to engage with young people and connect them to the past, then they would become more likely to spend their time working with APLA Health and support our mission as we continue our work into the future. “This is something that the youth want,” he said.