About Us

RSS

Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS celebrates 20 year anniversary

08/24/2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:

Emily Mead

PR/Marketing Coordinator

Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS

602.307.5330 Ext. 2241

emead@swhiv.org

Remembering the Early Days: Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS celebrates 20 year anniversary with Sept. 16 party honoring founder Kirk Baxter

PHOENIX, Ariz. (August 24, 2010) - Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS will celebrate its 20-year anniversary as a nonprofit healthcare support agency, while also honoring its founder, Kirk Baxter's, 50^th birthday. Baxter, who has survived more than 20 years living with HIV/AIDS as a pioneer for fighting the disease, attributes his health today to clinical trials, wellness and health programs located at Southwest Center.

Baxter, like many of Southwest Center's longtime clients, is now 50 years old and is living a vigorous, healthy life - something incomprehensible in the early days of the disease. The milestone is of special significance to Baxter, as the launching of Southwest Center coincides with the 20^th anniversary of his own HIV diagnosis.

"One week after that being diagnosed with HIV/AIDS as a university student - a thoroughly life-altering development in my life - I initiated the first meeting of what was to become Phoenix Body Positive and ultimately, the Southwest Center," Baxter said. "I was hired as the first executive director in 1990 and served in that capacity until the fall of 1996, when challenges with my health required me to step aside."

From Baxter's early days at the founder, a half dozen leaders have led and strengthened the nonprofit agency. Celebrating two decades, the commemorative reception and fundraising campaign kickoff will be hosted 5 p.m. in Paradise Valley on Thursday, September 16 with food generously provided by Barrio Cafe.

"Southwest Center is pleased to remember the early days of HIV/AIDS, when there were no known medical solutions, by honoring our founder Kirk Baxter," said Carol Poore, CEO and President of Southwest Center. "First and foremost, our message is one of prevention and advocating for a medical cure of the disease. With the advancement of HIV/AIDS medication and medical support, and the need for lifelong connection to health services and support for this chronic disease is paramount to quality of life, not just for this chronic disease, but for many diseases where people are living longer and need to also live well with their disease."

More than 20 years ago, Baxter and a group of concerned friends brainstormed ideas about how to help the HIV-positive community in Phoenix. From those meetings, what was then called Phoenix Body Positive emerged, opening its doors in August 1990 to provide an array of HIV/AIDS services to the community and a place to offer hope for those in need in those uncertain times.

Today known as Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS, Southwest Center is Arizona's most comprehensive HIV/AIDS organization, combining research, prevention/education and wellness services under one roof, serving 70 percent of those impacted with HIV/AIDS in Maricopa County and reaching out to thousands of those at risk through its many prevention programs.

"From support group meetings of diagnosed activists focused on patient advocacy issues and reforms in public policy, we learned early on, that programs such as local access to clinical trials would never happen unless we rolled up our sleeves and went to work, I am extraordinarily blessed to have found my sense of purpose and simultaneously, the services that have allowed me to thrive and reach the age of 50," Baxter noted.

Baxter's small dream is now a robust agency reaching out to more than 30,000 people who are either impacted by, or are at-risk for the disease each year in the Phoenix area, as well as more than hundreds newly diagnosed men, women, children, seniors, minorities, homeless, immigrants and families annually infected with HIV in Arizona who are all now living longer, more fulfilled lives. New and longtime clients participate in support groups, counseling, nutrition advice, naturopathy, reflexology and other wellness services, access to vitamins and other complementary alternative medicines. Southwest Center reaches out to thousands of at-risk individuals with testing programs throughout the community and informative educational services aimed at preventing the transmission of the disease. Even more, the agency's clinical trials program is responsible for bringing 29 of the 30 current FDA-approved HIV medications to market.

Talking about the agency's history, Baxter said that two highlights which are continuing to this day are Southwest Center's early relationship with Care Directions (that provided a direct link to comprehensive case management for clients) and the 1994 partnership with Maricopa County Medical Center (now Maricopa Integrated Health Systems). Both organizations' co-exist at

1144 E. McDowell Road

and are soon to join forces in a new facility. However, he said he believes the agency's two greatest achievements were the launch of its clinical trials program and the opening of the Wellness Center in1998; named the Kirk D. Baxter Wellness Center in 2003.

Baxter's greatest hope for the next 20 years in the fight against HIV/AIDS is the development of a vaccine and finding a cure. Until then, he said the services of the Southwest Center remain "essential to the longevity and quality of life of our clients" and hopes a new breed of leaders step up and take the cause to the next level of awareness.

"From addressing local issues to international concerns, the HIV/AIDS movement must remain vigilant," Baxter said. "Of paramount importance is recruiting and nurturing a new crop of leaders - leaders who can stare down complacency and keep up the fight for increased funding and ongoing advances in medical treatments ...There is no doubt that it takes a village, but within that village, everyone needs to work as one."

If you have a special memory about Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS or Kirk Baxter, or if you are interested in participating in any of the 20^th anniversary festivities or would like to donate a tribute gift, please call Robin Dunn, Interim Director of Development, at 602-307-5330, ext. 2249 or e-mail rdunn@swhiv.org.

About Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS

Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS is Arizona's most comprehensive AIDS service organization providing a combination of prevention, research and wellness support to serve 70 percent of Arizona's nearly 13,000 residents infected with HIV/AIDS who live in Maricopa County.

Since 1990, Southwest Center has been on the front lines addressing a steady increase in the demand for HIV/AIDS testing and counseling, prevention education, wellness support services, and clinical trials to help Arizona men, women and teens impacted by the disease.

Southwest Center's mission is to lead the fight against HIV/AIDS by preventing the disease, by improving the quality of life for those who are impacted, and by contributing to worldwide research. In 2009, Southwest Center provided 110 participants with new, life-saving medications through the Southwest Center's 15-year clinical trial program. Our clinical trials research program has helped bring 29 of the 30 available HIV/AIDS drugs to market. As our Valley continues to grow, the cases of HIV/AIDS continue to grow as well. In 2010, Southwest Center's HIV testing program already has grown by 32 percent over the prior year.

-- ### --