TREATMENT FOR LIFE CENTER
Where to go for a little "TLC"
(718) 240-5028
Welcome to the Treatment for Life Center at Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center
The Treatment for Life Center (TLC) is staffed by Board-Certified physicians and highly skilled and trained nurses and ancillary staff. TLC is a NY State Department of Health Designated AIDS Center, founded in 1993. We care for about 1,000 people living with HIV, ranging from birth to adulthood. TLC receives federal, state and city grant funds for medical care, HIV counseling and testing, medical case management for adults, children and families. In September 2001, TLC was awarded a HRSA Title III Early Intervention Services grant in order to address the unmet need for African-American and Caribbean populations in Brooklyn. The four-year grant, valued at nearly $2 million, enabled TLC to expand capacity by hiring new staff, including: a physician, nurse, nutritionist, substance abuse counselor, QA/data manager, support staff and HIV-positive peer educators. TLC prides itself on providing culturally competent care, with a diverse multi-disciplinary team speaking many languages and dialects.
In September 2003, TLC was awarded a $1.4 million, four-year research grant from HRSA Special Project of National Significance- one of only five sites selected nationally. We were granted the unique honor and challenge to develop a peer support model for Haitians living with HIV in the U.S. The model, called “Friends Helping Friends,” will be used to design effective interventions for Caribbean populations living HIV. In collaboration with Brownsville Multi-Service Family Health Center and Haitian Women’s Program, TLC has a prevention case management program, funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. The program, called Sisters Empowering Sisters Toward Achievement (SESTA), has graduated more than 100 peer educators, plus 20 adolescent peers who graduated in July 2003.
TLC provides the following HIV/AIDS services:
- HIV counseling, testing & referral (inpatient & outpatient); partner notification services.
- HIV medical care for adults, adolescents and children, including an evening clinic.
- HIV counseling, testing and treatment for HIV pregnant woman and their offspring
- Gynecologic services; obstetrics referrals to Brookdale’s high-risk Prenatal Clinic
- Family planning and referrals to PCAP and WIC
- Nutritional assessment and counseling
- Pharmacy and laboratory services
- Access to clinical trials
- Case management and linkage to support services, on-site support groups
- Multidisciplinary case conferencing
- Treatment adherence support groups in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole
- Quality assurance program, with electronic data management
- Brookdale subspecialty referrals for: dental, oncology, cardiology, pulmonary, radiology, dermatology, gastroenterology, ophthalmology, neurology, urology, endocrinology
- Emergency Room services, with 7 day 24-hour infectious disease consults
- Inpatient care on a specialized HIV unit supervised by an HIV specialist
- Substance abuse counseling & treatment
- Direct link to Schulman and Schachne Institute, our long-term care facility (physically co-located with the hospital) that has 120 AIDS –designated beds, the only such facility in Brooklyn
- 24 hour/7 day week physician coverage
- Prevention case management & peer education training, for adults and adolescents
- Consumer Advisory Board that is client-focused, and run in collaboration with staff.
Brookdale Hospital supports the Treatment for Life Center with more than $1 million. TLC’s success with competitive grant awards continues to be a compliment to the diligent and dedicated work of its leadership and staff. TLC has developed extensive community linkages, and is an active member of the East New York-Brownsville HIV C.A.R.E. Network. In 2003, TLC celebrated 10 years of providing comprehensive, caring and culturally sensitive HIV services to the Brooklyn community.
HOURS OF OPERATION
HIV Medical Clinic & Support Services
Aaron Pavilion, 5 th Floor
(718) 240-5028
Monday – Friday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Wednesday Evening Clinic, until 7 p.m
HIV Counseling & Testing
Aaron Pavilion, Room 444, 445
(718) 240-6500
Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Flatbush BFCC Wednesday & Friday 2-5 p.m.
Bristol BFCC Tuesday & Thursday 2-5 p.m.
New Lots BFCC Tuesday & Thursday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. |
