Dr. Peter AIDS Centre

Description

Dr Peter JepsonYoung knew firsthand that people living with HIVAIDS have many needs far greater than just survival Before his death in 1992 he established the Dr Peter AIDS Foundation

Peter was a young Vancouver physician diagnosed with HIVAIDS in 1985 When his condition became too debilitating to continue practising medicine he sought to inform and educate the public and others living with HIVAIDS via The Dr Peter Diaries In 111 television episodes broadcast on CBC TV over two years Dr Peter used honesty pathos and humour to share his experience bringing a human face and a human touch to the epidemic at a time when too few knew the difference between myth and medical reality

Peter believed that there was no substitute for the ongoing involvement and support of caring people He saw the landscape of HIVAIDS changing and knew the needs of those affected would become more complex

Today his vision and compassion continue to drive our mission and our work
Read Dr Peters Affirmation and learn more about some of his awards and citations

MISSION
To provide Comfort Care for people living with HIVAIDS

MANDATE
To operate a Day Health Program and Residence with 24hour care for people with HIVAIDS

VALUES
Comfort Care is holistic health care with a commitment to acceptance so that strength and hope are possible It is guided by the following principles and

VALUES
Accepting respecting and valuing the dignity of each individual

Supporting the spiritual psychological social and physical needs and
desires of each individual based on their own choices

Transforming despair isolation fear and fatigue into inclusion support
safety and security and

Recognizing the broad determinants of health and quality of life and
providing innovative integrated flexible communitybased care

Comfort Care focuses on living and dying as part of living

Highly active antiretroviral therapy HAART treatment extends lives It also helps prevent HIVAIDS transmission Reducing the number of new infections saves lives and saves health care dollars

Everyone infected with HIVAIDS deserves access to HAART Thats where we come in Dr Peter Centre West End assists individuals to manage medication and the side effects enabling us to play an important role in both treatment and prevention

We are ready to

expand our mission in response to the need for increased capacity and the
complexity of HIVAIDS care

provide more care to more people at Dr Peter Centre West End

build more Dr Peter Centres in more communities so people with HIVAIDS
will have the specialized health care they need closest to where they live

share our innovative model with more provincial national and international
health care providers to help them develop their skills and capacity to
provide the same care

bring about larger change in HIVAIDS care in communities throughout Canada
and around the world

History

The Dr Peter AIDS Foundation was established by Dr Peter JepsonYoung just prior to his death in 1992

Two years later the Foundation began to consult with AIDS organizations and health care providers to determine how best to fulfill its mission to provide care for people living with HIVAIDS

In conjunction with representatives from St Paul s Hospital BC Centre for Excellence in HIVAIDS AIDS Vancouver BC Persons with AIDS Society Vancouver Health Dept Greater Vancouver Mental Health Services and the Ministry of Health Alcohol and Drug Program a feasibility study was conducted to assess the need for a HIVAIDS Day Health Program in Vancouver

On the evening of the March 1994 Academy Awards at which the Broadcast Tapes of Dr Peter was nominated for an Oscar the Dr Peter AIDS Foundation hosted a celebratory event at CBC Vancouver studios The Foundation announced it would fulfill Dr Peters vision by establishing a HIVAIDS Day Health Program in Vancouver

The Dr Peter Centre Day Health Program opened its doors in April 1997 in an old wing of St Pauls Hospital in downtown Vancouver One year later a 10person 24hour care residence was added The lease arrangement for the site was only temporary

The Dr Peter AIDS Foundation undertook to secure a permanent home for the Dr Peter Centre In 2001 the Foundation successfully completed a 98million Capital Campaign to build a new fourstorey Centre

On September 29 2003 the Centre moved its Day Health Program participants residents and staff into its new home Dr Peter Centre West End with a larger capacity continues to assist the community and health care system to cope with the ongoing need for AIDS care

Today Dr Peter Centre West End provides care programs and services to approximately 300 Day Health Program participants and 50 residents annually