World-Class LGBTQ+ Empowering Healthcare

Health care access

County of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a countywide benefit)

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

LA County is one of the most expensive urban areas in the U.S.While California has high rates of health insurance coverage, the cost of medical care is prohibitively expensive for many. Plus, LA County’s 4,753 sq.-mile area presents a challenge in accessing services; forcing people to travel long distances to receive care.LA County also has a million undocumented immigrants not eligible for many government programs and who rely on non-profits to provide basic services. Lastly, LA County has one of the highest numbers of people with HIV (PWH) in the U.S., about 58,000- 15% likely unaware of their positive status.Less than half of those PWH are virally undetectable.Without a detectable viral load, PWH CANNOT pass on the virus; the key is antiretroviral therapy. These populations face significant barriers to treatment—racism, poverty, citizenship, gender and sexual identity discrimination, and HIV-related stigma- and require culturally competent care like that provided by APLA Health.

With a clear focus on the LGBTQ+ community, we prioritize medical care and social service that target the most vulnerable, underserved and low-income communities in LA County. We provide a safe space where people can connect with like-minded individuals dedicated to enhancing their physical, mental, sexual, and spiritual well-being. Our team of 400 dedicated staff and healthcare professionals is committed to providing personalized and compassionate free and low-cost medical services, tailored to meet the unique needs of each client we serve.
For PWH, APLA Health is their ally in navigating their health and support systems. APLA Health targets critical social determinants of health, such as lack of affordable housing, homelessness, food and income insecurity, and substance use, among others. We are committed to assisting PWH in securing essential resources, ensuring they have everything they need for a stable and healthy life, including but not limited to: the Vance North Necessities of Life Program - the largest food pantry program for PWH in the country; HIV Elders – a social support group for aging PWH, and Alliance for Housing & Healing- L.A. County’s largest provider of Housing Support Services for PWH.
While we understand that APLA Health cannot solve these problems alone, we can utilize multiple tools to raise awareness and deliver impact, including partnership with other organizations, development of policy, and local advocacy and leadership.

APLA Health has made huge strides towards ending the HIV epidemic in our lifetimes Unfortunately, the federal administration is trying to unravel decades of progress. The more pertinent question is: how will LA County be different if we are NOT successful in securing the funding we need?
Without supplemental funding, we will have to drastically reduce services, specifically to PWH and our gender non-conforming patients. This could mean no social support for older PWH, no food pantry, and most concerningly, 1,200 PWH could lose housing support resulting in homelessness and a lapse in their HIV treatment. Lastly, APLA Health is one of few providers offering culturally competent care to gender non-conforming individuals—a critical service amid Trump administration's efforts to stigmatize the community. APLA Health is a refuge for PWH and gender non-conforming persons, with few other resources in LA County, these groups will be bereft if APLA Health must eliminate our programming.