Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2002. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Miami Herald - Monday, October 7, 2002
Ana Rhodes, arhodes@herald.com
"It allows people access to new drugs and vaccines at no cost to them," said Ruth Koku, a nurse practitioner with UM's AIDS Clinical Research Unit.
The partnership gives UM access to potential participants in its studies.
The Wansiki Foundation's Fort Lauderdale clinic, staffed by three doctors and a nurse practitioner, sees about 1,000 HIV patients every week.
Many don't have insurance or struggle to pay for treatment.
Dr. Margaret Fischl, director of the AIDS clinical trials group at UM, is conducting more than 20 trials through the National Institutes of Health and drug companies, including Abbott and Bristol-Myers Squibb.
Patients pay nothing to participate. UM pays for their blood work, prescriptions and to have their vital signs and weight checked.
"It takes the pressure off the system. It opens up a space for someone else to come in and use the federal money," said Marie J. Wansiki, the clinic's founder and executive director.
UM began working with the clinic in July. Four of its patients are involved in the trials now, and dozens are being screened to determine whether they can join. Through UM, the clinic has access to the lastest research and technology.
New drugs are tested in the trials, as well as new ways of combining older drugs and using different dosages.
The clinic, a not-for-profit practice that opened in 1985, relies on the federal government for 60 percent of its funding. The rest comes from contributions.
IF YOU GO
The Wansiki Foundation clinic, 1815 E. Commercial Blvd., is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. Call 954-771-6404.
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