Los Angeles, Feb. 08, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- APLA Health is excited to announce that Dr. Michael Gottlieb will join our medical team on February 11, 2019 at our new APLA Health – Olympic Health Center. While a young researcher at UCLA in 1981, Dr. Gottlieb was the first to identify and describe AIDS as a new syndrome, a finding which directly led to the discovery of HIV in 1983.
Dr. Gottlieb is an allergist and immunologist and has been a leader in AIDS treatment and care throughout the epidemic. He was physician to actor Rock Hudson and in 1985 helped Dame Elizabeth Taylor found the American Foundation for AIDS Research (AmFAR). He has served on the Boards of Directors of AIDS Project Los Angeles and the Pasadena AIDS Services Center as well as on numerous scientific advisory committees including to the State of California, the National Institutes of Health and the US Centers for Disease Control. Since 1987, he has operated Gottlieb Medical Group, a private medical practice.
“Over the last year I’ve noticed that my patients have been having a hard time affording rising insurance premiums, high deductibles and substantial co-pays for visits and lab tests. I decided to join APLA Health to address those concerns as many of my patients will now be able to see me at a much lower out of pocket cost,” Dr. Gottlieb said. “This move also gives me the opportunity to continue to practice good medicine in a different model of care, which is something I find exciting. We have come a long way with HIV but many challenges remain, especially for those who have lived with the virus for decades. At APLA Health I will have the opportunity to study ways to continue to improve the quality of life for this population.”
“Dr. Gottlieb has a true passion for serving the HIV community and APLA Health is a perfect home for him. He has years of experience and knowledge and will be an invaluable asset for patients and a resource for our staff,” said Craig E. Thompson, CEO of APLA Health. “I’ve had the privilege of knowing Michael for many years and we all look forward to working with him to provide medical care for those in need and help to end the HIV epidemic in our lifetime.”
APLA Health – Olympic Health Center provides Los Angeles County residents access to quality primary medical care; HIV specialty care and support services, as well as HIV and STD screening and prevention services – including PrEP counseling and management. Dr. Gottlieb will join the medical team at APLA Health – Olympic including site medical director Jay Gladstein, MD, Wayne Ho, MD, Ann Easley, NP / PA, Peter Anderson, NP and Kevin Rachut, NP. Our services are available to everyone regardless of insurance status, HIV-status, gender identity, sexuality, or income level. Our health center is located in the Olympia Medical Plaza at 5901 W. Olympic Blvd., Suite 310, Los Angeles, CA. The state-of-the-art facility has nine exams rooms, a medical provider hub for better care coordination, and an advanced laboratory and on-site dispensary to better serve our patients.
About APLA Health: APLA Health’s mission is to achieve healthcare equity and promote well-being for the LGBT and other underserved communities and people living with and affected by HIV. We are a nonprofit, federally qualified health center serving more than 15,000 people annually. We provide 20 different services from 16 locations throughout Los Angeles County, including: medical, dental, and mental healthcare; PrEP counseling and management; health education and HIV prevention; and STD screening and treatment. For people living with HIV, we offer housing support; benefits counseling; home healthcare; and the Vance North Necessities of Life Program food pantries; among several other critically needed services. Additionally, we are leaders in advocating for policy and legislation that positively impacts the LGBT and HIV communities, provide capacity-building assistance to health departments across the country, and conduct community-based research on issues affecting the communities we serve For more information, please visit us at aplahealth.org.