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Community Providers Say Walk‑In Testing Available but PrEP/PEP Access Limited for Uninsured
Summary
Heart to Hand said it provides free walk‑in testing and treatment navigation but does not currently have capacity to provide PrEP to all uninsured clients and that PEP access is limited by provider availability and timing requirements.
Deidre Spears Johnson, CEO of Heart to Hand, told the Board that her organization provides free walk‑in HIV and STI testing and long‑term navigation but lacks the funding and provider capacity to supply PrEP for all uninsured residents.
"For at Heart to Hand, if someone comes in, we have 2 ways that you might be able to get prep... we're not always able to access it just because there's not enough dollars and everybody doesn't have insurance," Deidre Spears Johnson said, describing an online partner platform and limited slots for PrEP. She said Heart to Hand provides PEP but that PEP's 72‑hour window and limited provider availability present access challenges.
County presenters said the health department maintains an extensive referral network and provides starter PrEP packs at clinics, and they urged expanding partnerships with primary‑care providers so patients seeking PrEP or PEP receive timely access and follow‑up.
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