THE MISSION OF THE COMMUNITY AIDS NETWORK IS TO PROVIDE A CONTINUUM OF MEDICAL, SOCIAL AND EDUCATION SERVICES ESSENTIAL TO THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF THOSE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS, HEPATITIS C, SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES, OTHER DISEASES AND TO ENHANCE PUBLIC AWARENESS.
Community AIDS Network (CAN) has been serving the needs of the HIV/AIDS community in Sarasota and surrounding counties for over 25 years. We are a private, not-for-profit organization dedicated, through our clinical arm – Comprehensive Care Center, to the treatment, care and continual wellness of people living with the HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C and STDs. Our Sarasota Headquarters clinic offers medical, dental, psychological and lifestyle counseling to all patients, regardless of their financial situation, insurance status or ability to pay. CAN has also become a part of the LGBT community offering education, assistance and support to other local organizations.
CAN owns and operates medical clinics across the state of Florida. All of our clinics offer various services which can be found under each location under “Services in Your Area” on the menu page. As CAN continues to grow, so will our services.
In order to generate additional revenue for the general program services for the Center, its “Pharmacy Assistance Program” was implemented. The 340B Drug Discount Program, which is administered by the Office of Pharmacy Affairs within the Health Resources and Services Administration, provides funding generated from the drug discount received from the pharmaceutical manufacturers.
Across America, every 9 1/2 minutes one teenager is receiving transmission of the HIV virus, and one quarter of new HIV diagnoses are people under 25. In 2015, the number of reported HIV cases in Florida jumped 23%. Although many clinics have excellent education staff members, they are only allowed to speak about the prevention of HIV/AIDS to a small percentage of the younger population. HIV/AIDS can strike at any age an there is also an alarming rise of new HIV incidents in the population over the age of 50!
Florida is #1 in the nation for newly diagnosed cases of HIV. In 2014 there was a 15% increase in new HIV cases in Sarasota over the previous year’s total, and the numbers at our other clinics are often much greater. None of the statistics take into consideration the number of people living with HIV/AIDS who are untested and undiagnosed.
With the rate of HIV incidences on the rise, we must re-marshal our forces and move the fight into the 21st century. We envision a world without HIV/AIDS, achieved through our mission to save lives by treating and preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS in Florida. CAN is assisting over 10,000 patients!