St. Petersburg | Metro Wellness and Community Centers announced the opening of the LGBTQ Primary Care Clinics during the St. Pete Pride parade and street festival June 25.
“The LGBT Welcome Center in St. Petersburg is proudly flying a giant rainbow flag above Central Avenue [June 25], and will be at the heart of Metro’s outreach to the community throughout St. Pete Pride weekend,” Metro said in a press release. “As we look to the coming year, the highlight of this year’s Pride season is Metro’s next big step in providing full health and wellness for our community.”
Since expanding its services over a year ago, Metro became the first in the area to provide a comprehensive care home model with all HIV services under one roof in collaboration with Community AIDS Network, or CAN.
“Our Centers provide full wrap-around services including case management, counseling, prevention and education, HIV medical care, in-house pharmacy services, food and hygiene banks and more,” Metro said.
Metro will be opening these primary care clinics right inside the LGBTQ community centers in both Tampa and St. Petersburg.
The clinics will provide PrEP (Pre-exposure Prophylaxis), STD and hepatitis prevention and treatment, HRT and transgender health care, gay and lesbian primary care, in vitro fertilization and psychiatric care.
Along with opening the clinics, Metro is bringing Dr. David W. Lyter, M.D., to the team as Metro’s first medical director and first full-time primary care physician. Dr. Lyter and the CAN medical team and staff were out at the St. Pete Pride street festival, in front of the LGBT Welcome Center between 22nd and 23rd Streets, meeting the community and attendees.
“Metro continues to be the center for all of the community, offering programs and services for the LGBT communities, those affected and infected by HIV and allies,” they said.
Metro Wellness and Community Centers is a 501(c)3 organization and, in its mission statement, says it is “committed to providing premier HIV services, social networking, LGBT activities and other health and wellness programs that enhance the quality of life. We strive to promote a healthy environment for all, and to foster diversity within the community as a whole, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or economic status.”
Metro has three locations throughout the Tampa Bay area; a Pinellas County office in St. Petersburg, a Hillsborough County office in Tampa and a Pasco/Hernando County office in New Port Richey.
To learn more about Metro and the new LGBTQ Primary Care Clinics, visit www.MetroTampaBay.org or contact them at 727-321-3854.
