HIV/AIDS

To Visit Us

360: The Positive Care Center at UCSF is located on the fourth floor of the Ambulatory Care Center at UCSF Medical Center, 400 Parnassus Ave. The center is wheelchair accessible.

We're open for appointments Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. To schedule an appointment, please call (415) 353-2119.

We recommend that patients see a primary care doctor every three to four months to ensure the most effective care.

Appointment Reminders
Billing
Clinic Visits
Laboratory Results
Medications
Social Services
Special Concerns
Urgent Problems

Appointment Reminders

You will receive a reminder phone call two to three days before your appointment. Please let the front desk or your doctor know if you don't have access to a phone or if you have other requests. If you can't make your scheduled appointment, please call and reschedule.

Billing

We accept most insurance plans, including Medi-Cal and Medicare. Some plans require a co-payment at the time of the visit. For your convenience, we accept cash, checks and credit cards.

Clinic Visits

When you arrive, please register at the front desk so we can update your information and send your chart to nursing for check-in. Please let us know if you have moved, have a new telephone number or have an urgent problem. Your doctor or nurse will call you to begin your visit. Please mention any problems you may have. After completing your appointment, our staff at the front desk will help you arrange for other appointments or tests.

Laboratory Results

Your lab results are reviewed by a nurse or doctor. You will be notified immediately if test results indicate you have an urgent problem. Routine lab results are typically provided during regularly scheduled appointments. If you're concerned about a test result, please tell your doctor or nurse, who can arrange to provide the results to you and any additional information you may need. Some results may take up to two weeks. HIV screening results for antibodies are always provided during clinic visits.

Medications

If you have an existing prescription for medication, your pharmacy can provide refills or can call us for refill authorization. You also can call your pharmacy to confirm that your medication is being prepared.

Refills for restricted medications and initiating new prescriptions may require a clinic visit. If a written prescription is needed, please notify the clinic a week in advance, if possible, so the prescription can be prepared and your doctor or nurse can arrange to discuss the medication with you. At a minimum, we need two to three days to obtain written prescriptions.

Social Services

HIV and AIDS produces challenges for people in their home and workplace. Our licensed social workers are experts in HIV and AIDS related services. Each patient is offered an initial social service assessment and follow-up as needed. Other services include counseling, support groups and assistance with enrollment in the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), Social Security and Medi-Cal. Our social workers have contacts with community mental health, housing, disability, training and advocacy groups to access a full array of services.

Special Concerns

Please tell your doctor or nurse if you have any concerns about the following:

• Alcohol and smoking
• Benefits
• Child bearing
• Depression
• Diet
• Domestic violence
• Drug use
• Fears about your health
• HIV transmission
• Medication side effects
• Pain
• Pets
• Talking with your partner
• Transportation needs
• Travel
• Weight gain or loss
• Your work place

Urgent Problems

From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday, please call the clinic at (415) 353-2119 for urgent issues.

At all other times, call (415) 476-1000 and speak with the Positive Care Center doctor or nurse on-call.

If you need help immediately, call 911 and indicate that you are a patient at the Positive Care Center.

For urgent problems during business hours, a nurse will review your needs and schedule an urgent visit. If your doctor isn't available, we may recommend that you see another Positive Care Center doctor or nurse or refer you to the Urgent Care Clinic or Emergency Room.

Not all problems are urgent but certain conditions require prompt care. Please contact the clinic if you experience any of the following problems:

• Blood in your urine
• Chest pain, which is more severe or longer lasting than previous chest pains
• Diarrhea of more than three stools per day for more than one day
• Fainting or loss of consciousness
• Fever over 103 degrees F or 39 degrees C
• New weakness or numbness in part of your body
• Severe headache, which is more severe than previous headaches
• Trouble breathing, which is new or more severe than previous breathing trouble
• Vomiting that prevents the intake of your medication

360: The Positive Care Center at UCSF
400 Parnassus Ave.
Room A-429
San Francisco, CA 94143

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Medical Center.
Last updated September 19, 2007