4 / NEWS/ MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2011 / THE KINGSMAN

BC’s Health Clinic in Roosevelt Rivals Public Clinics

By Michelle Veal health center, where I could in a plan, according to Tan-
Production Editor develop a practice accord- nenbaum.
ing to my belief about how In addition to health
health care should be deliv- services, the clinic also
Brooklyn College’s Health ered: in a patient-centered offers programs that are
Clinic, located in 114 Roos- manner. open to students with the
evelt Hall, provides a vari- Tannenbaum and her col- most successful being the
ety of health services to the leagues provide informative free HIV testing program.
student body, ranging from answers to the questions It is provided by the Special
birth control prescriptions students may have with a Treatment and Research
to nutritional counseling. goal of students becoming (STAR) clinic from SUNY-
The clinic opened in 1994 more educated about their Downstate and takes place
and has been managed by personal healthcare. every Tuesday in Brooklyn
Ilene Tannenbaum, nurse “[Patients] are given thor- College’s Health Clinic.
practitioner and the clinic ough information about According to the HIV PHOTO BY MICHELLE VEAL

director since. There are our clinical impressions Center for Women and Wendy Bamman, PA, has worked at the clinic for two-and-a-half years.

three physician’s assistants and offered options when- Children at SUNY-Down- results as the reason stu- patients due to obstacles.
and two other nurse practi- ever possible,” Tannenbaum state, in 2008, 27,000 dents are more willing to After pretest counseling,
tioners that provide pri- said. “From treatments to residents of Brooklyn were get tested at the clinic. blood is drawn and sent to
mary care services. laboratory tests, including living with HIV or AIDS, “With reduced barriers a laboratory company for
Although Tannenbaum the options to accept or with 1,027 of them be- to care, students can read- processing, for which the
previously worked in a va- decline those exams. Our ing newly diagnosed. The ily gain knowledge of their uninsured patient receives
riety of settings, including a patients become informed survey claimed 40 percent HIV status. This is essential, a lab bill of $20,” Tannen-
HIV perinatal transmission consumers about their own of Brooklyn adults have not so those who test positive baum said. “To receive
study at SUNY-Downstate healthcare, and they ulti- received an HIV test. can receive appropriate care test results, the individual
and Kings County Medical mately take the necessary The HIV testing program and prevent transmission to must return to the clinic.
Center, she cited opening steps toward making their is the most successful, ac- others,” Tannenbaum said. By comparison, rapid HIV
Brooklyn College’s health own individual life choices cording to Tannenbaum, “Just as important, those testing is free, no blood is
clinic as a unique opportu- that have the most impor- because they exceeded who test negative may also drawn, and test results are
nity. tant impact on their own STAR’s expectations. STAR need to change behavior so available within 20 min-
“I chose to work at care and well-being.” expected approximately six they can ensure they re- utes.”
Brooklyn College, as op- Besides the student activ- students to show up each main HIV negative.” The clinic is open Mon-
posed to other settings, ity fee that is included in Tuesday, when in reality, Rapid HIV testing only day, Tuesday and Thursday
including other college tuition, students are not eight to twenty students takes less than half an hour, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
health centers, for a num- required to pay a fee when were showing up each rather than waiting for with the last appointment
ber of reasons,” Tannen- visiting a practitioner and Tuesday in the month of results to come back from a at 5:30 p.m. and Wednesday
baum began. “First of all, I insurance companies and February. lab a week later. from 10:00 a.m. to 7 p.m.
was delighted to have the Medicaid are not billed, Tannenbaum credited “HIV testing has always with the last appointment
opportunity to create a new even if students are enrolled reduced anxiety and quick been offered by the BC being at 6:30 p.m.
clinic, but often rejected by