Variety Care Joins Largest National HIV Testing Day Event in Partnership with Walgreens and Greater Than HIV

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – June 25, 2024 – Variety Care is proud to participate in the largest coordinated National HIV Testing Day event June 27, 2024, in collaboration with Walgreens and Greater Than HIV, a public information initiative of KFF. This nationwide effort will provide free rapid HIV testing at more than 550 Walgreens locations, including Walgreens #4098 at 5120 North May Avenue in Oklahoma City.

In addition to free rapid HIV tests, this year’s event will also offer free rapid syphilis and hepatitis C testing, addressing the rising rates of these sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in many locations. Testing will be available from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Variety Care’s designated Walgreens location. No appointment is necessary, and results will be provided in 20 minutes or less. Counselors will be on hand to answer questions and offer information on prevention and treatment options, including referrals for PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) and other necessary care.

Lou Carmichael, president and CEO of Variety Care, emphasized the importance of this initiative, stating, “Our participation in National HIV Testing Day underscores Variety Care’s commitment to making health care accessible and equitable for all. By providing free testing and connecting individuals to essential resources, we are helping to reduce the barriers to HIV prevention and treatment in our community.”

Tina Hoff, senior vice president at KFF, highlighted the collaboration’s impact: “This unique public-private partnership brings free rapid HIV and STD testing directly to communities in a familiar setting and connects individuals to trusted local prevention and treatment service providers in their area.”

Rick Gates, chief pharmacy officer at Walgreens, added, “This program is instrumental in reaching people in community settings, making HIV prevention and treatment options more equitable, accessible and convenient. Walgreens is proud to support this initiative and provide our customers with critical health services.”

Since 2011, the KFF’s Greater Than HIV and Walgreens National HIV Community Partnership has administered more than 82,000 free HIV tests through the in-store National HIV Testing Day program. This year marks the 14th anniversary of the partnership and the highest level of participation in the program’s history, with major HIV rapid test manufacturers such as Abbott Laboratories, BioLytical Laboratories, ChemBio Diagnostics, and OraSure Technologies donating tests to support the event.

Variety Care is also pleased to announce that Melissa Alfred, BSN, MSN, FNP-C, DNP, AAHIV-S, specializing in HIV care and prevention, and hepatitis C treatment, is now accepting new patients at our Sequoyah location. Melissa is dedicated to helping underserved populations within the community. “I work

hard to build trust with my patients. I work closely with them to get them where they need to be. I accomplish this through education, providing resources and advocating for them,” said Alfred.

For more information on Variety Care, please visit varietycare.org. To schedule an appointment, please call (405) 632-6688.

About Variety Care, Inc.
Variety Care, Inc. is Oklahoma’s largest community health center with 20 sites in central and western Oklahoma, and two new sites opening soon in Norman and Yukon. Variety Care serves approximately 80,000 patients annually and provides comprehensive and coordinated social services to over 200,000 people through face-to-face and group visits. A United Way partner agency, Variety Care serves all and strives to make health care affordable and accessible for everyone. The Variety Care Foundation provides philanthropic support and community awareness for Variety Care and its efforts. For more information, please visit varietycare.org. 

About Walgreens

Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) is included in the U.S. Retail Pharmacy and U.S. Healthcare segments of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA), an integrated health care, pharmacy and retail leader. True to its purpose of “more joyful lives through better health,” Walgreens has a more than 120-year heritage of caring for communities and providing trusted pharmacy services, and today is playing a greater role as an independent partner of choice offering health care services that improve care, lower costs and help patients. Operating nearly 9,000 retail locations across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, Walgreens is proud to serve nearly 9 million customers and patients daily. The company’s pharmacists are playing a more critical role in health care than ever before, providing a wide range of pharmacy and health care services, including those that drive equitable access to care for some of the nation’s most underserved populations. Walgreens offers customers and patients a true omnichannel experience, with fully integrated physical and digital platforms designed to deliver high-quality products and healthcare services. Within the U.S. Health care segment, Walgreens portfolio also includes businesses in primary care, multi-specialty, post-acute care, urgent care, specialty pharmacy services, population health and provider enablement.

About KFF

KFF is the independent source for health policy research, polling and journalism. Its mission is to serve as a nonpartisan source of information for policymakers, the media, the health policy community, and the public.

KFF’s Greater Than HIV initiative is a leading public information response focused on HIV in the U.S. Through localized Greater Than HIV campaigns, KFF works with health departments and community partners to reach those most affected and in need with the latest on testing, prevention and treatment. This public-private partnership model helps extend the reach of limited resources in high need areas.