Health provider with H.B. clinic gets HIV/AIDS grant

AltaMed Health Services, a community health provider with a clinic in Huntington Beach, has gotten a $350,000 federal grant to provide HIV/AIDS services.

The Ryan White Grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will go toward expanding testing, education, support and treatment for the disease, according to a release from AltaMed.

Tom Siegmeth, the provider’s director of HIV services, said the grant money is good for three years and specifically targets women, infants and young adults ages 18 to 24. AltaMed also applied for another federal grant that would provide monetary support for adult male HIV patients, but that application has not been successful so far, he said.

The improved treatment for youth and women would complement the work the county’s health service does for HIV patients, according to Siegmeth.

“In Orange County, you don’t see a lot of organizations providing HIV care — medical, dental and wrap-around services,” he said. “So there’s clearly a need for that, and one organization can’t do it.”

AltaMed runs nine medical and dental clinics in Orange County, including its facility in Huntington Beach at 8041 Newman Ave. The organization also operates clinics in Los Angeles County.

—Michael Miller

Twitter: @MichaelMillerHB