Vivent Health celebrates grand opening following renovations

GREEN BAY – After more than $1.6 million in investment in the facility, Vivent Health celebrated the grand opening of its newly renovated space at 417 S. Monroe Ave. in Green Bay this week.

Vivent Health, formerly known as AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin, supports people living with and affected by HIV in the greater Green Bay area by bringing together HIV care, primary medical care, behavioral health care, prevention and social services.

“People need more than a prescription to stay healthy. They need reliable access to clinical care, mental health support, food, stable housing and other essentials,” said Brandon Hill, Ph.D., president and CEO of Vivent Health. “This investment in Green Bay strengthens our ability to connect people with those services and help them stay engaged in care and live well.”

The Green Bay health center currently serves 484 patients and clients with 13 Green Bay-based staff.
“HIV is still, unfortunately, a disease that impacts people in all communities across Wisconsin, large and small,” said Joseph Brooks, chief external affairs officer for Vivent Health. “Every year, we continue to see new infections… The ‘80s and ‘90s was when HIV was really sort of the worst — the epidemic was in the headlines and top of mind for people. Because of really excellent health care and really great medical advances, the fight against HIV and AIDS has advanced tremendously. The work that we do is both about caring for people who have been living with HIV in some cases for 20, 30 or 40 years and providing that ongoing specialty healthcare and pharmacy care that they need, as well as providing that same level of care to people who might have just tested positive.”

Services available at the Green Bay health center include HIV care, primary care, behavioral health care, HIV, STI and hepatitis C testing, PrEP for HIV prevention, harm reduction services, case management, food pantry and nutrition services, housing assistance and legal assistance.

“The way we think about HIV care at Vivent is really through an integrated model, and this is what has led Vivent to be able to produce some of the best viral suppression rates in the entire country…” Brooks said. “We know that in order for people to become virally suppressed, they need really incredible healthcare by people who understand the disease and who have been treating people with HIV for their entire careers. People also need a specialty pharmacy that really understands the latest and greatest pharmaceuticals that are both on the prevention side of things as well as the treatment side of things. But then there’s a range of other services that we provide in Green Bay… It’s those services working in tandem that leads to the viral suppression rates that we’re seeing at Vivent.”

Vivent Health’s integrated approach connects medical care with support for everyday needs that can make it difficult to access and stay in treatment. Care teams help patients navigate challenges such as food insecurity and housing instability alongside their health needs.

“We see a lot of folks traveling into Green Bay from other more rural places to access care,” Brooks said. “It’s a really convenient one-stop shop where they’re able to access everything that they need within an afternoon.”

The center builds on Vivent Health’s more than four decades of HIV care, prevention and advocacy in Wisconsin.

“Unlike many years ago, HIV is a manageable disease to live with,” Brooks said. “Obviously it’s not something anybody wants to live with, but if you’re testing positive, there are really high quality healthcare options that allow you to live a really full and productive life. Being aware of it, taking care of yourself and making those healthcare decisions can really set yourself up for success, and caring for your community helps to cut down on other infections within whatever community people might be living in.”