STAR Program Health Center Information

Welcome to the Special Treatment and Research (STAR) Program at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. Founded in 1990, STAR Program is an integrated clinical, educational, research and community service program within SUNY Downstate Medical Center’s Department of Medicine. SUNY Downstate Medical Center (DMC) has been at the forefront of HIV care and research since the disease was first identified in the early 1980s. Jack A. DeHovitz, MD, MPH, MHCDS, FACP Distinguished Service Professor of Medicine, is the founding director of the STAR Program. The STAR Program has transformed over the past 30+ years to address multiple issues such as mental health, drug use, hepatitis C, and the needs of LGBT and gender non-conforming communities. The STAR Health Center (SHC) has been designated as a Level 3 Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). The SHC is the first ambulatory care program at SUNY to receive this prestigious distinction. The SHC provides primary care and supportive services for HIV+ adults, including: confidential rapid HIV testing (RHT), primary care, gynecological services, patient education, medical and family-centered case management, care coordination, hormone therapy, nutritional counseling, medication adherence counseling, psychiatric consultation, mental health, and substance use treatment (including acupuncture detoxification, buprenorphine, and harm reduction). The SHC also has a specialized clinic for people with HIV who are co-infected with hepatitis C (HCV) for further diagnostic assessment, HCV therapy, and treatment education). Specialized services targeting LGBTQ populations include hormone therapy and high resolution anoscopy (HRA); a dedicated LGBT clinic session on Monday evenings from 5:00pm-8:00pm started in October 2015). Pre and post exposure prophylaxis (PrEP/PEP) treatment is offered to non-infected partners. A PEP Center of Excellence based at STAR was recently funded.