Callen-Lorde's Bronx clinic moves to a bigger home near The Hub, with walk-in care and same-day PrEP

Callen-Lorde, the LGBTQ+ community health center, has moved its Bronx clinic into a larger space at 555 Bergen Ave., a few minutes from The Hub shopping district, the Bronx Times reported Tuesday. The clinic, which first opened in the borough in 2016, is steps from the 3 Av-149 St subway station, which is accessible, according to Callen-Lorde.

What's new

• More room: 10 clinical rooms, twice as many as the old site, and 15 rooms dedicated to behavioral health, plus space for a pharmacy, case management and patient support.
• Walk-ins: "Quick Care" walk-in appointments are available daily, Callen-Lorde says, and staff told the Bronx Times they plan to expand them.
• Same-day PrEP: staff are piloting a program that lets eligible patients start PrEP, the medication that lowers the risk of getting HIV, the same day they walk in. The site also offers HIV treatment, including long-acting injectable options.
• Coming: group sessions such as group therapy and classes on sticking with HIV treatment, and murals reflecting Bronx culture on the clinic's walls.

Who can go, and what it costs

The clinic is open to anyone seeking primary care, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, the Bronx Times reported. Services include checkups, care for conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes, vaccines, sexual health and behavioral health. Callen-Lorde accepts Medicaid, Medicare, ADAP and many commercial plans and says it provides care regardless of ability to pay. For uninsured or underinsured patients, visit fees run on a sliding scale from $0 to $100 based on income, with labs and prescriptions billed separately, according to its website. Case managers can help patients enroll in insurance.

"We serve a highly marginalized population here in the South Bronx," site director Yadira Solano told the Bronx Times, adding that many patients rely on Medicaid. The Bronx had the highest rate of new HIV diagnoses in the city in 2023, the paper reported. Callen-Lorde, whose roots go back to 1969, also runs clinics in Chelsea and Brooklyn. Its after-hours line is (212) 271-7200.