For more than 30 years, The LGBTQ+ Center of Southern Nevada, known simply as The Center, has stood as a place of safety, dignity and belonging in Las Vegas. It has been a second home for LGBTQ+ individuals, a lifeline for people living with HIV, a hub for health and hope. Today, The Center opens a new chapter in its mission with the launch of its new in-house pharmacy at the Gavin J. Goorjian Community Health and Wellness Center.
This milestone does more than bring medication closer. It brings care full circle. It means people can now receive medical services and immediately fill their prescriptions in the same trusted space, during the same visit.
Access is a right, not a privilege
Healthcare access is not just about being seen by a provider. It is also about receiving the treatment that follows. For too long, patients at The Center left appointments with prescriptions they could not fill due to lack of transportation, cost concerns or fear of being mistreated at a pharmacy counter.
“If we do not get medication into a patient’s hands during the moment we have them, we may lose them,” said Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Leana Ramirez. “This pharmacy allows us to complete care, not just start it.”
The problem grew worse when the nearest pharmacy, once located across the street, permanently closed. That closure created a pharmacy desert in a neighborhood already navigating poverty, housing instability and health inequities. Many patients simply could not make the trip to another pharmacy three miles away. So The Center made a decision. Rather than send patients somewhere else, it would bring the pharmacy to them.
Care that meets people where they are
The new pharmacy is now fully integrated into The Center’s care model. A patient can see a provider upstairs and then walk downstairs to pick up medication before heading home. The impact is immediate for people managing chronic conditions like asthma, diabetes and anxiety, as well as those beginning hormone therapy, HIV treatment or recovery care.
“We serve everyone who walks through our doors,” said CEO John Waldron. “Members of the LGBTQ+ community. Unhoused neighbors. People living with HIV. People who simply need a place that will not turn them away. This pharmacy is a promise that we will walk with people every step of the way.”
Pharmacist-in-charge Bobby Angel recalls one of the first patients he helped. The patient had lost insurance coverage and needed both insulin and inhalers. A chain pharmacy quoted more than six hundred dollars for the medications. He considered going without treatment.
“We told him that was not an option here,” Angel said. “We used every tool available to reduce the cost to something he could afford, and The Center stepped in to cover the rest. He left with medication, hope and dignity.”
From an exam room to a full pharmacy
What exists today began in the most humble way. When The Center first recognized the need for same-day medication access, it did not yet have the space or funding for a full pharmacy. So it improvised. An empty exam room on the clinic floor was converted into a small, temporary pharmacy. It was one of the smallest licensed pharmacies in the state, according to an inspector. It was also one of the most impactful.
“That tiny room proved what was possible,” Dr. Ramirez said. “It showed us that medication access changes lives. It gave us the momentum to build something permanent.”
From that beginning, The Center partnered with Alchemy to bring the full-scale pharmacy to life. Alchemy supported pharmacy planning, licensing, clinical system integration and launch operations to make the program sustainable for the long term.
Closing the gap in HIV prevention and treatment
Las Vegas continues to rank among the highest cities in the country for new HIV cases. Early treatment and prevention are essential, but many people fall out of care simply because they cannot access medication regularly.
“Follow-through changes outcomes,” said Medical Director Dr. Jerry Cade, a pioneer in HIV care since 1985. “Now patients do not get lost between writing a prescription and filling it. They leave with the medication they need to stay healthy. That continuity saves lives.”
The Center is also one of the first clinics in Nevada to offer long-acting injectable PrEP, a medication that prevents HIV when taken every two or six months. For people who struggle with daily pill adherence or have unstable living situations, this is a powerful tool in preventing new infections. The in-house pharmacy makes it possible to deliver these advanced treatment options on-site.
Community-built, community-owned healthcare
The Center’s philosophy goes beyond treating illness. Every visit begins with understanding what someone may be carrying silently. Medication is important, but trust comes first.
Director of Clinic and HIV Services Mona Lisa Paolo recalled a patient who came in only for an HIV test. During a short conversation, staff learned he would lose housing that same night. Instead of handing him a test result and sending him away, the team helped secure temporary housing, food assistance and transportation support. They stayed with him until he found stability.
“People come in expecting to be dismissed,” Paolo said. “Instead they are seen, heard and cared for. That is healthcare built on humanity.”
The beginning of something bigger
The team at The Center already has its eyes on what comes next. Dr. Ramirez hopes to expand pharmacy hours, offer medication-assisted treatment on-site and eventually support mobile pharmacy services through outreach teams working across Southern Nevada.
In a city known for bright lights and fast change, it is easy to overlook quiet progress. Yet inside the Gavin J. Goorjian Community Health and Wellness Center, something powerful has begun. A new model of care is growing. It is local. It is compassionate. It is built on the belief that everyone deserves the chance to get well.
This is what access looks like. And it is only the beginning.
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