Pharmacy to Improve Health Outcomes for LGBTQ Individuals Who Often Experience Challenges to Care
Today, Wednesday, April 26, 2023, the LGBTQ Center of Southern Nevada and Genoa Healthcare are partnering to expand access to quality health care and HIV treatment and prevention in Downtown Las Vegas by opening an on-site pharmacy at The Center. Leaders and community members marked the occasion with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10:30 a.m.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals often face challenges and barriers to accessing needed health services and, as a result, can experience worse health outcomes. These challenges can include stigma, discrimination, health insurance inequality, substandard care, and outright denial of care because of an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity. The opening of the new Genoa pharmacy will help bridge gaps in care and improve how the LGBTQAI+ community safely, efficiently and affordably manage their medications.
Genoa’s integrated approach provides customized, convenient and stigma-free pharmacy services for people with HIV in the same facility they receive their care, making it easier to obtain and stay on their medications. The model has demonstrated medication adherence rates of 91%, compared to 50% with a traditional approach, and can lower morbidity and mortality rates, help prevent treatment failure and viral resistance, and prevent transmission of new HIV disease. While Genoa serves people nationwide, its community pharmacies offer personalized services, can fill all medications, and have an atmosphere of a neighborhood pharmacy.
The pharmacy is part of The Center’s business model to become fully sustainable.
About The LGBTQ+ Community Center of Southern Nevada
For 30 years, The Center has cared for, championed, and celebrated LGBTQIA+ individuals and those underserved in Nevada. We function as the heart and home of the LGBTQIA+ community by making connections, delivering programs, and providing a safe space for health and wellness, social services, arts and culture, advocacy, and community building. Ongoing Center programs support LGBTQIA+ youth, adults, families, seniors, vets, people with disabilities, those living with HIV, and underserved populations. Additionally, we are proud to offer the Center Advocacy Network, the first nationally accredited program of its kind, focusing on LGBTQIA+ issues for victim advocacy. For more information on how The Center empowers everyone to thrive in Nevada, please visit The LGBTQ Center of Southern Nevada.
About Genoa Healthcare
Genoa Healthcare is a leading provider of pharmacy medication management services for individuals with mental illness and other complex, chronic conditions like HIV and has been serving the community for more than 20 years. Today, Genoa Healthcare has hundreds of pharmacies located on site within community mental health centers across 47 states and the District of Columbia. Genoa Healthcare is part of Optum Rx, a pharmacy care services company. To learn more, visit www.genoahealthcare.com.
Media Contacts
The Center:
Pamela Puppel (she/her)
702-561-9975
Genoa Healthcare
Jennifer Statham
770-823-6771
