LTC 494-2018 City Launches University of Miami PrEP Mobile Wellness Clinic MIAMI BEACH
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
NO. LTC # 494-2018 LETTER TO COMMISSION
TO: Mayor Dan Gelber and Members of • e City C. mission
FROM: Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager401.111
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DATE: September 11, 2018
SUBJECT: City Launches University of Mia i PrEP Mobile Wellness Clinic
The purpose of this Letter to Commission (LTC) is to advise you that the University of Miami has
announced that it will launch its PrEP Mobile Wellness Clinic,funded by the City,on October 1 near
the Hotel Gaythering located at 1409 Lincoln Road.
Since 2011, new HIV infections on South Beach have increased by 71 percent,while the overall rate
in Miami Beach remains among the highest in the country.A total of 26,975 persons were living with
HIV in Miami-Dade County with an additional 4,046 who are unaware of their infection, according to
Bureau of Communicable Diseases.
To address the concerning and growing epidemic, the City partnered with the University of Miami,
Prevention 305 and the Hotel Gaythering to launch University of Miami's PrEP Mobile Wellness
Clinic with $250,000 in City funding. Providing highly-effective strategies for HIV prevention, the
mobile clinic will be key in providing quality health services in an easily accessible and non-clinical
setting—specifically delivering evaluations for pre-exposure prophylaxis(PrEP)free of charge to our
residents.
When taken daily, PrEP medication reduces the risk of HIV infection by more than 90 percent and
has been cited in the dramatic reduction of HIV infections in major urban areas.After its widespread
adoption in San Francisco, new HIV diagnoses dropped 17 percent. Meanwhile, in London, the
City's busiest sexual health clinic attributed a 40 percent reduction in new HIV cases to PrEP.
The program will additionally offer comprehensive prevention services including rapid HIV testing,
condom and lubricant distribution, sexually transmitted disease testing and a variety of other
services including cancer screenings as indicated. The clinic will be open during evening hours
outside of the Hotel Gaythering on Lincoln Road beginning October 1.The mobile clinic will be open
for services Mondays and Wednesdays, 5pm to 7pm.
Should you have any questions, please contact me.
JLM/KGB/MLR