Funding for proposed free and confidential HIV screening in the Student Primary Care Clinic was denied by the University Wednesday afternoon, presenting a major setback to the year and a half long effort.
Doctors at the clinic, in conjunction with organizations such as the Student Health Advisory Board and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Working Group, have been working on the project which, according to Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Juan Gonzalez, they expected to begin at the beginning of this semester.
Confidential screening for the virus is presently available at the SPCC for a minimum of $156. However, a bill is generated unless a patient pays in cash. If the proposal had been adopted, the only record of a test besides what is written in the doctor’s folder would be the receipt given to the student, Gonzalez said.
Some 400 students make use of the service each year. Additionally, Dr. Jim Welsh, director of the SPCC, said that approximately 100 students attended the most recent day of free HIV testing sponsored by the Whitman Walker clinic on S Street.
Welsh had been lobbying for the plan. “I want to make sure that every student who feels the need to be tested can get tested in a simple, kindly, confidential way,” he said.
Gonzalez is heading the effort to find a source of funding. He said the main problem with funding the testing is a lack of new money in the budget and the need to constantly stretch resources. Dr. Gonzales said he still feels confident that testing is available and pointed out that all medical services can be reimbursed by insurance companies. However, he said he wants the program to be much more expansive and pledged to continue his efforts.
The procedure for soliciting a grant for a new program follows three steps, Gonzalez said. The administration looked first within SPCC, then within the division of Student Affairs and finally to the University as a whole without finding the capacity to fund the program. Because Georgetown’s clinic is run like a private physician’s office, it does not receive unlimited backing from the University.
The money is needed to provide a part-time nurse with expertise in STD screening. This staff member is the most expensive element of the proposal, Gonzalez said. Other services, such as free counseling for students, would also be offered.
On Wednesday morning, Dr. Welsh was optimistic about the possibility of the program’s eventual success. After being notified that the proposal had been denied, he said he was disappointed about the situation but affirmed that those involved would continue to seek other potential sources of financing.
“Whenever you propose a new program which requires significant funding, it’s always difficult to find room for it in the budget,” he said.
