FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Washington County leaders announced the HIV clinic will close its doors and reopen at a different location with all the same staff.
The clinic was set to shut down after one of the clinic's financial contributors, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), asked the county to double its contribution in 2025.
The Washington County Quorum Court unanimously voted to restore funding to keep the clinic open in November.
On Dec. 16, Washington County announced the HIV clinic will close its doors for a better alternative.
"My understanding is that half of the patients are part of the Ryan White Program, which is basically a federal program for people who are low income or lacking insurance, who are living with HIV," Washington County Justice of the Peace Evelyn Rios Stafford said. "So, especially for those vulnerable folks, it's really critical that they get the health care services they need."
According to the county, the clinic patients will now be seen at the Community Clinic in Fayetteville.
"My understanding is that Community Clinic is the one that sort of reached out to the HIV clinic and to UAMS when all this news came out a couple of months ago," she said. "Those talks have been happening for some weeks now."
County Judge Patrick Deakins provided 5NEWS the following statement about the change:
"This new partnership with Community Clinic will start a new chapter in the ongoing innovation and continuum of healthcare provided to current and new patients."
Stafford said she hopes the new partnership will offer additional healthcare services to the patients of the county's HIV clinic.
"By partnering with an organization like Community Clinic that provides other types of healthcare services, hopefully this means those patients are going to be able to get multiple needs met at once, not just healthcare needs around HIV," Stafford said.
All staff at the Washington County clinic will stay on board and be employed at the Community Clinic, the county confirmed.
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