Initial evaluation for all new patients begins with an appointment with a medical care manager. During this time the patient will find out information about the Center, fill out any required paperwork, receive general health maintenance information and have the necessary lab tests done. An initial clinical appointment will be scheduled, as soon as possible, within the next two to four weeks. The initial clinical appointment will include an extensive history taking session and physical examination. Laboratory results will be reviewed and treatment strategies will be discussed. HIV specific health issues will be discussed in detail. The scheduling of follow-up appointments will depend on the patient's status and the type of treatment being planned. Decisions on when to initiate antiretroviral (anti-HIV) medications and what medications to use when treatment is started are the most challenging questions in HIV medicine. At the Center, these questions are handled in a case conference setting. Providers meet three times a week to present patients and discuss treatment options. The decisions made are based on the specific characteristics of the patient and on the most recent data available regarding medications and viral resistance. These recommendations are then brought back to the patient by his or her provider, and plans are made for the initial administration of the medications.

All patients are assigned a primary provider who will see them on their scheduled appointments. Every effort will be made to have each patient seen by his or her primary provider, however walk-in appointments for urgent problems may require the patient to be seen by a different provider. If for any reason a patient is not comfortable with his or her provider, he or she may request transfer of his or her care to another provider.